A Look at Oscars 2025 Nominations and Other Historic Wins by POC Women and Queer Persons

In preparation for the 97th Academy Awards happening next month, the 2025 Oscar nominees have been revealed and this year’s list has already set several new precedents for women and queer persons in the film space. In an industry that has historically overlooked performances by women, minorities, and LGBTQ+, it is important to take the time to recognize their achievements and appreciate the progress being made. 

This year, nominations are led by the musical film Emilia Pérez, setting the record for the most nominations for a non-English language movie at 13. The leading actress, Karla Sofía Gascón, becomes the first openly transgender performer to be nominated for Best Actress, marking an important milestone for the LGBTQ+ community. The movie adaptation of the beloved Broadway musical Wicked has received 10 nominations this year, one of which recognizes Cynthia Erivo in the Best Actress category. Erivo is the first Black British woman to receive multiple nominations in acting and if she wins this year she will achieve EGOT status. Another notable record is Fernanda Torres being the second Brazilian actress to receive an Oscar nomination for her role in I’m Still Here with her mother, Fernanda Montenegro, being the first in 1999. It is also valuable to note that most of the frontrunners this year are stories that focus on female and queer perspectives such as Emilia Pérez, Wicked, and The Substance. 

While this year’s nominations list has set some new milestones, there have also been some upsets. The most glaring one being that Coralie Fargeat, director of The Substance, is the only woman nominated in the Best Director category and of the 10 nominees for Best Picture, The Substance is the only women-directed film. Compared to 2024 nominations for Best Picture which holds the record for most films directed by a woman in that category with three movies, it is a disappointing change. In technical and categories such as Best Visual Effects, Best Sound, and Best Costume Design, the lack of female nominees is palpable, highlighting another glaring issue within the film industry.

Looking back over the years, there has definitely been a shift in the right direction in terms of queer and female POC recognition at the Oscars. In 1962, Rita Moreno became the first Latina woman to win an Oscar for West Side Story. 1983 saw Buffy Sainte-Marie become the first Indigenous person to win an award. Jodie Foster was the first openly LGBTQ+ woman to win Best Actress, and she won twice. In 2001, Halle Berry made history, becoming the first but also the only Black woman to win the Best Actress Award up to this point. In 2019, Ruth E. Carter became the first Black woman to win in Best Costume Design while Hannah Beachler became the first Black person to win in Production Design, setting records within the technical categories. In 2010, Kathryn Bigelow became the first woman to win Best Director and was followed by Chloe Zhao in 2021, who became the second woman to win and the first woman of color to win in that category. The following year, Ariana Debose won Best Supporting Actress, becoming the first openly queer person of color and the first Afro-Latina actress to win an Oscar. In 2023, Michelle Yeoh became the first Asian woman and the second ever POC to win the Best Actress award. 

The Academy Awards is an imperfect institution but it is also an important platform to elevate sidelined voices and inspire future generations of performers. As the film industry continues growing and leaves behind its pattern of snubbing minority voices, there has been a slow but discernible progress in recognizing the amazing achievements from women of color and members of the LGBTQ+ community. With each coming year establishing new milestones, there is still hope in reaching that destination. May the 97th Academy Awards uphold those expectations.