Autumn Durald Arkapaw Just Made Oscar History—And She Did It Carrying a 65-Pound IMAX Camera

The 2026 Oscars were a night to remember for lots of different reasons, but last night, Autumn Durald Arkapaw didn’t just break the glass ceiling for cinematographers; she shattered it into 70mm shards.

Autumn Durald Arkapaw won Best Cinematography for Sinners and has officially made Oscar history as the first woman, and the first woman of color, to ever take home the statue in that category.

Previous nominees include Rachel Morrison for Mudbound , Ari Wegner for The Power of the Dog, and Mandy Walker for Elvis.

This is a leap forward that took too long to happen, but it has, and we should celebrate it. If you were watching the broadcast, you felt the weight of it.

During Arkapaw's acceptance speech, she took a beat to acknowledge the gravity of the room, saying, “I really want all the women in the room to stand up because I feel like I don’t get here without you guys.”

"I really, really truly mean that," she added. "I have felt so much love from all the women on this whole campaign and have gotten to meet so many people, and I just feel like moments like this happen because of you guys, and I want to thank you for that."

And then she cited legends like Ellen Kuras and Rachel Morrison, who helped pave the way for female cinematographers.

Ryan Coogler and Autumn Durald Arkapaw on the set of 'Sinners' Credit: Eli Adé

The Technical Grind Behind the Win

At No Film School, we love a good success story, but we love the craft even more. What makes Durald Arkapaw’s win so impressive is the sheer technical audacity of the project.

I mean, it felt like Sinners was a painting moving before your eyes. From the incredible oner to some of the action scenes and even the poetic beginning of the film, it was an impressive feat.

Sinners wasn't an easy prestige play. It was an expensive, original story directed by Ryan Coogler, and the duo made the bold choice to film in IMAX and Ultra Panavision 70. For those keeping score at home, Durald Arkapaw is the first woman to ever shoot a film in large-format IMAX, too.

And she didn't just sit behind a monitor. She mostly operated the 65-pound camera herself.

That helped make Sinners into an event movie that everyone talked about all year, and that will carry for a generation.

Summing It All Up

The win for Sinners is a reminder that the "standard" way of doing things is officially outdated. You can shoot on the biggest formats, operate the heaviest rigs, and tell original, culturally specific stories—and you can win the highest honor in the craft while doing it.

Durald Arkapaw has set a new benchmark. Now, it's up to the rest of the industry to keep up.

What did you think of the cinematography in Sinners? Let’s talk about those IMAX sequences in the comments.