The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences have always has a questionable relationship with artists of color, spawning the #OscarsSoWhite hashtag in 2015 which carried over into the following year after all the actor and actresses nominated were white for two years running.

Last year, the power of films such as Hidden Figures, Fences and Best Picture winner Moonlight resulted in seven of the 20 acting nominees being people of color. This time around, four Black stars have been nominated within acting categories while also holding down Best Director and Best Animated Film.

From veterans to new comers, athletes to soul divas, check out the nominees bringing Black excellence to the forefront during this year’s ceremony.

BEST PICTURE

Call Me by Your Name

Darkest Hour

Dunkirk

Get Out

Lady Bird

Phantom Thread

The Post

The Shape of Water

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

 

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Timothée Chalamet, Call Me by Your Name

Daniel Day-Lewis, Phantom Thread

Daniel Kaluuya, Get Out

Gary Oldman, Darkest Hour

Denzel Washington, Roman J. Israel, Esq.

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Mary J. Blige, Mudbound

Allison Janney, I, Tonya,

Lesley Manville, Phantom Thread

Laurie Metcalf, Lady Bird

Octavia Spencer, The Shape of Water

BEST DIRECTOR

Dunkirk, Christopher Nolan

Get Out, Jordan Peele

Lady Bird, Greta Gerwig

Phantom Thread, Paul Thomas Anderson

The Shape of Water, Guillermo del Toro

WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)

Call Me by Your Name

The Disaster Artist

Logan

Molly’s Game

Mudbound

ORIGINAL SONG

“Mighty River,” Mudbound

“Mystery of Love,” Call Me by Your Name

“Remember Me,” Coco

“Stand Up for Something,” Marshall

“This is Me,” The Greatest Showman

CINEMATOGRAPHY

Blade Runner 2049

Darkest Hour

Dunkirk

Mudbound

The Shape of Water

SHORT FILM (ANIMATED)

Dear Basketball (Kobe Bryant) 

Garden Party

Negative Space

Lou

Revolting Rhymes