When Sinners was nominated for 16 Academy Awards, an all time high record was broken. One of those nominations belonged to cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw who was busy breaking a few records of her own. The moment that those nominations were announced also marked the first time in history that a woman of color was selected for cinematography. Last night, Arkapaw became the first woman and Black person to win an Oscar for best cinematography.
The Bay Area native of Filipino and Black creole descent grew up pursuing art that would ultimately lead her to where she is now. She began with photography in high school, inspired by the images her maternal grandparents would capture along their travels. She went on to study art history in college with intentions of becoming of curator—that is until she stumbled into film courses at Loyala Marymount University in Los Angeles. From then on, a career in cinematography was seemingly inevitable—with everything that she loved, had pursued, and already studied, it just made sense.
Coming off a historic win at the 2026 Oscars complete with an inspiring yet wholly authentic speech, consider us obsessed with Autumn Durald Arkapaw (and her custom Thom Browne red carpet look!) and eager to know everything about the artist behind one of our favorite films of the year—if you’re in the same boat, this is a great place to start.
1. She Was Making History Before Her Historic Oscar Win
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Arkapaw made history at the 2026 Oscars as the first woman and Black person to win the award for best cinematography—that's not where her history making moments began, though. She shot Sinners in IMAX, being the first ever woman DP to do so. Then, her Oscar nomination marked the first time a woman of color was nominated in that category. All of this of course culminated in her historic win last time—the perfect conclusion to a long run of records.
2. She Used To Shoot Fashion Films With Gia Coppola
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In the early stages of Arkapaw, she could be spotted running around town with director Gia Coppola shooting low budget fashion films. Essentially, the duo shot what they interpreted as beautiful and their friends having fun in lovely clothes for brands like Opening Cermeony. This was the beginning of the longstanding friendship and working relationship with Coppola.
3. She Was Previously Known For Her Work On Music Videos & Indie Films
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Arkapaw is the visionary behind some of my personal favorite music videos. She notably worked on Haim's "Falling," the Jonas Brothers's "Sucker," Solange's "Lovers in The Parking Lot," Rihanna's "Lift Me Up," and SZA, The Weeknd, and Travis Scott's "Power Is Power" to name just a few. This was all before she embarked on her indie film journey—she worked on films such as Palo Alto, Mainstream, and The Last Showgirl with Gia Coppola, as well as Teen Spirit and One & Two.
4. This Wasn't Her First Collab With Ryan Coogler
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The duo previously collaborated on Black Panther and have established a close, trusted working relationship—like working with a "long lost cousin" in their words. Arkapaw never misses an opportunity to praise Coogler, especially for his consistent commitment to platforming women both on and off his film sets.
5. She's A Fashion Girl!
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I suspected this based off of the work she previously did with Gia Coppola and my suspicion was confirmed when she arrived at the 2026 Oscars wearing custom Thom Browne. During an interview for the Director Fits Substack, Arkapaw noted that working in the entertainment industry naturally makes her intentional about what she chooses to wear. Arkapaw, who knows everything about good lighting, good angles, and capturing clothes on film, is adamant about not sacrificing comfort—a true fashion girl knows how to look put together while still being able to move around on set and get all the right shots, after all.
