Naomi Harris (Moonlight)

The Oscars had something to prove this year after the “Oscar So White” debacle last year. The amount of great films staring Black people let the Academy off the hook this year. They could not overlook the greatness. Films like Moonlight, Fences and Hidden Figures have been in the middle of Oscar buzz since their releases. The usual suspects Denzel Washington and Viola Davis have both been nominated again. Mahershala Ali who was recently cast as Cornell “Cottonmouth” Stokes in the Netflix Tv series Luke Cage has been nominated for his first Academy Award for his portrayal of a drug dealer in the 2016 film Moonlight. Naomi Harris’s portrayal of a crack addicted mom in Moonlight also earned her a nomination. “I really cannot believe this. I heard the news from my brother because I was too terrified to listen to the nominations. I couldn’t be more thrilled that the movie has been nominated in so many categories, it’s so unexpected. It was a [role] I initially turned down, so this is quite a result!” -Naomi Harris speaking with the BBC

Moonlight leads the Black pack with 8 nominations including one for Best Picture and Director. There are non-white actors in each of this years acting categories. Let’s hope this trend continues. Black people have been overlooked for years. Let’s see if all of these nominations translate into more awards and more roles for Black people.

The 89th Academy Awards is shaping up to be a historic night. Take a look at the Black Oscar Nominations from the major categories below.

Best Supporting Actor

Mahershala Ali (Moonlight)

Best Actor

Denzel Washington (Fences)

Best Supporting Actress

Viola Davis (Fences)

Naomi Harris (Moonlight)

Octavia Spencer (Hidden Figures)

Best Actress

Ruth Negga (Loving)

Best Director

Barry Jenkins (Moonlight)

Best Picture

Fences

Hidden Figures

Moonlight

– Precise

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