Race/Ethnicity Overall
Tracy A Woodward/The Washington Post; CBS via Getty Images; Michael Buckner/Deadline/Shutterstock; The Associated Press; Charley Gallay/Getty Images for TNT
Overall 1929-2025
Of the 13,652 nominees since 1929, 6% were from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups. The ratio of white to underrepresented nominees is 16 to 1. The first underrepresented nominee appeared in 1936 (Achmed Abdullah, Merle Oberon). Seven percent of all winners were from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups. The first person of color to win an Academy Award® did so in 1940 (Hattie McDaniel).
More than three-quarters (76%) of underrepresented nominees were only nominated once. In contrast, 60% of white nominees earned only one nomination. Three underrepresented nominees had 10 nominations each– the most for any underrepresented nominee: Alfonso Cuarón, James Wong Howe, and Denzel Washington. In contrast, 117 white nominees (1% of all white nominees) had more than ten nominations– these nominees earned between 11 to 54 nods.
Of all Academy Award winners, <2% were women of color.
2025 Nominees
Of the 208 nominees in 2025, 12% were from an underrepresented racial/ethnic group and 89% were white. 2025 ranks twelfth across all 97 years in the percentage of underrepresented nominees.
Race/Ethnicity Overall 1929-2025
The chart below provides the percentage and number of nominations for underrepresented individuals by category and year, and illuminates the ongoing disparities in nominations for people of color over time. In the last two decades, there has not been one year when the percentage of underrepresented nominees reached proportional representation with the U.S. population.
Year | Supporting Actor | Supporting Actress | Actor | Actress | Director | Cinematography | Adapted Screenplay | Original Screenplay | Editing | Picture | Animated Film | Production Design | Costume Design | Documentary Feature | Score | Song | Visual Effects | Makeup & Hairstyling | Sound | Overall | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1929 | -- | -- | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | -- | -- | -- | 0% | -- | -- | -- | -- | 0% | -- | -- | 0% | ||
| 1930 | -- | -- | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | -- | 0% | -- | -- | -- | 0% | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 0% | ||
| 1931 | -- | -- | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | -- | 0% | -- | -- | -- | 0% | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 0% | 0% | ||
| 1932 | -- | -- | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | -- | -- | -- | 0% | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 0% | ||
| 1933 | -- | -- | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | -- | -- | -- | 0% | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 0% | ||
| 1934 | -- | -- | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | -- | -- | -- | 0% | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 0% | 0% | ||
| 1935 | -- | -- | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | -- | -- | 0% | -- | -- | 0% | 0% | -- | -- | 0% | 0% | ||
| 1936 | -- | -- | 0% | 17% | 0% | 0% | -- | 6% | 0% | -- | -- | 0% | -- | -- | 0% | 0% | -- | -- | 0% | 3% | ||
| 1937 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | -- | 0% | 0% | -- | -- | 8% | -- | -- | 0% | 0% | -- | -- | 0% | 1% | ||
| 1938 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | -- | 0% | 0% | -- | -- | 0% | -- | -- | 0% | 0% | -- | -- | 0% | 0% |