Denzel Washington (Fences), Ruth Negga (Loving), Mahershala Ali (Moonlight), Viola Davis (Fences), Naomi Harris (Moonlight ) and Octavia Spencer (Hidden Figures ) garnered Oscar acting nominations for performances in 2016's films, a record for black actors. Lion 's Dev Patel, an ethnic East Indian, has also been nominated. Following is a summary of black, Hispanic, and Far East Asian actor/actress winners and nominees.
A decade after Hattie McDaniel became the first African-American to win (Best Supporting Actress, 1939's Gone With the Wind ), Jose Ferrer would be the first Hispanic nominated (Best Supporting Actor, 1948's Joan of Arc). In 1950, he was the first Hispanic Best Actor winner (Cyrano de Bergerac). He earned another Best Actor nomination as Toulouse-Lautrec (1952's Moulin Rouge ). That year, Mexico's Anthony Quinn was the first Latino Best Supporting Actor winner (Viva Zapata! ). He would win again in that category as Paul Gauguin in 1956's Lust for Life.
In 1954, Dorothy Dandridge became the first African-American nominated for Best Actress (Carmen Jones), and Katy Jurado was the first Hispanic actress nominated, in the Best Supporting slot (Broken Lance). Sessue Hayakawa became the first Japanese nominee, as Best Supporting Actor (1957's The Bridge on the River Kwai ). Sidney Poitier was the first black Best Actor nominee (1958's The Defiant Ones). 1959's Imitation of Life garnered two Best Supporting Actress nominations: for Hispanic Susan Kohner and African-American Juanita Moore.
Rita Moreno became the first Latina Best Supporting Actress winner (1961's West Side Story). Poitier was the first black named Best Actor (1963's Lilies of the Field ), defeating Quinn's Zorba the Greek. Two years later, Japan's Mako was up for Best Supporting Actor (The Sand Pebbles). Beah Richards earned a Supporting Actress nod in 1967's Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? In 1970, Chief Dan George became the first Native American nominee, as Best Supporting Actor (Little Big Man ). Paul Winfield and Cicely Tyson were nominated for lead roles for 1972's Sounder. Diahann Carroll would garner a Best Actress nod (Claudine, 1974), but seven years passed until African-American Harold E. Rollins, Jr. was nominated as Best Supporting Actor (Ragtime, 1981).
Next year, Louis Gosset, Jr. collected the Best Supporting Actor Oscar (An Officer and a Gentleman). In 1983, Alfre Woodard was a Best Supporting Actress nominee (Cross Creek). 1984 marked a first: Cambodian Haing S. Nor won Best Supporting Actor (The Killing Fields ), beating Japanese-American Pat Morita (The Karate Kid). 1985 saw Whoopi Goldberg nominated for Best Actress in The Color Purple, and Margaret Avery and Oprah Winfrey nominated for Best Supporting Actress in that film. But 1986 saw only one black nominee, Dexter Gordon for Best Actor (Round Midnight). Next year, Morgan Freeman (Street Smart ) and Denzel Washington (Cry Freedom ) were nominated for Best Supporting Actor, while Argentina's Norma Aleandro was a Best Supporting Actress nominee (Gaby: A True Story). James Edward Olmos was a Best Actor nominee for 1988's Stand and Deliver. In 1989, Freeman was up for Best Actor (Driving Miss Daisy), while Washington won the Best Supporting prize (Glory).
The 1990s opened with Cuban Andy Garcia and Native American Graham Greene nominated for Best Supporting Actor in The Godfather III and Dances with Wolves, respectively. Goldberg collected the Best Supporting Actress Oscar (Ghost). Washington was nominated for Best Actor as Malcolm X, and Jaye Davidson for Best Supporting Actor for The Crying Game (1992). Next year, Angela Bassett earned a Best Actress nod as Tina Turner (What's Love Got To Do with It?), and Rosie Perez got a Best Supporting nomination (Fearless). In 1994, Freeman was a Best Actor nominee (The Shawshank Redemption ), and Pulp Fiction 's Samuel L. Jackson was among those nominated for Best Supporting Actor. Cuba Gooding, Jr. collected that prize for 1996's Jerry Maguire. The decade ended with a Best Actor nomination for Washington (Hurricane) and a Best Supporting Actor nod for The Green Mile 's Michael Clark Duncan.
Spain's Javier Bardem was a 2000 Best Actor nominee (Before Night Falls), while Traffic 's Benicio del Toro won the Best Supporting Actor award. Washington was 2001's Best Actor (Training Day ). Next year, Salma Hayek was up for Best Actress as Frida, and Queen Latifah received a nod in the supporting category (Chicago). 2003 saw Del Toro (21 Grams), Djiman Houson (In America) and Ken Watanabe (The Last Samurai) nominated for Best Supporting Actor. Next year, Jamie Foxx was the Best Actor (Ray ), beating Don Cheadle in Hotel Rwanda, while Freeman finally won Best Supporting Actor (Million Dollar Baby), beating Foxx (Collateral) .
Catalina Sandino Moreno was a Best Actress nominee for Maria Full of Grace, while Hotel Rwanda 's Sophie Okonedo was nominated in the Best Supporting category. In 2006, Forrest Whitaker's King of Scotland crowned him Best Actor, edging out Will Smith (The Pursuit of Happyness). Hounsou in Blood Diamond and Dreamgirls' Eddie Murphy were Best Supporting Actor nominees, while Jennifer Hudson won Best Supporting Actress (Dreamgirls ), defeating Japan's Rinko Kikuchi and Adriana Barraza, both for Babel. Next year, Bardem was the Best Supporting Actor (No Country for Old Men ) while Ruby Dee was a supporting actress nominee (American Gangster). Penelope Cruz won that prize in 2008 (Vicki Christina Barcelona), edging out Viola Davis (Doubt). In 2009, Freeman was a Best Actor nominee (Invictus ), Gabourey Sidibe was a Best Actress nominee (Precious ), which earned Mo'Nique the supporting Oscar over Cruz (Nine).
Bardem would garner another Best Actor nod (Biutiful, 2010). 2011 saw The Help 's Davis earning a Best Actress nomination and Octavia Spencer winning Best Supporting. Washington got another Best Actor nod for 2012's Flight, and Quvenzhane Wallis was a Best Actress nominee (Beasts of the Southern Wild). 2013 saw 12 Years a Slave's Chiwetel Ejiofor among the Best Actor nominees, while Lupita Nyong'o won Best Supporting Actress for that movie. Barkhad Abdi was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for Captain Phillips. Then no nominations for blacks, Hispanics, or Far East Asians until this year.