Muslim, Asian And Black Actors Plus 2 Female Directors, Evidence Of The Diversity Of 2021 Oscar Nominations

Chadwick Boseman (David Lee/Netflix)

JAKARTA - The Academy Awards Committee has just released the list of nominees for Oscar 2021 on Monday, March 15. After going through a series of delays from their usual schedule, namely February, they decided to hold the highlight of the upcoming April 25 event.

Judging by the list of nominations, there are many new names that have made history in the 2021 Oscars. Oscars seem to present something new and receive positive appreciation from the public.

New names

Oscar gave six categories for Minari including general nominations such as Best Director, Best Picture, and Best Original Screenplay.

For the first time too, Steven Yeun became the first Asian American actor to be nominated for Best Actor. Actress Youn Yuh-jung also took a place in the Best Supporting Actress nomination.

#Minari makes history 🌱Congratulations to Isaac, Steven, YJ, Emile and the whole Minari family on their 6 wonderful, wonderful #OscarNoms pic.twitter.com/hvEVmjplGj

- Minari (@MinariMovie) March 15, 2021

The late actor Chadwick Boseman also made history with the first black actor to be nominated for Best Actor. Thanks to his role in the film Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Boseman set a number of new records. His victory is certainly awaited because it will become new history even though he died last year. Death did not stop him from making new history.

15 years into his career, actor Riz Ahmed became the first Muslim actor to be nominated for Best Actor through his role in the film Sound of Metal. Previously there was Mahershala Ali who won an Oscar through the Best Supporting Actor category.

"Sound of Metal is about how a health crisis can take you from life and loved ones and force you to grow up in unexpected ways," said Riz Ahmed in response to his nomination.

Sound of Metal is about how a health crisis can cut you off from your life and loved ones, and force you to grow in unexpected ways. In a challenging year for so many, I hope this story can inspire us to forge new and deeper connections with ourselves and others. pic.twitter.com/Yl2eLuvmwf

- Riz Ahmed (@rizwanahmed) March 15, 2021

'Cheated'

David Fincher's Mank film received the most nominations for the Oscars this time with 10 nominations. However, the election invited sentiment from netizens.

According to them, there are many films that also deserve as much appreciation as Mank's films. Ma Rainey's Black Bottom and One Night in Miami bagged five and three nominations but neither was nominated for Best Picture.

Netizens also questioned the film Da 5 Bloods, which Oscar did not see. Da 5 Bloods only received a Best Original Score nomination, although the film received a positive response.

Two Female Directors

It is rare for a female director to be nominated for Best Director. This year, two female directors named Emerald Fennell for the film Promising Young Woman and Chloé Zhao for Nomadland. The selection of the names of these two female directors is the first in the history of holding the 93 years of Oscars.

Their second work received a big spotlight at a number of awards before the Oscars, as a result, many predicted that they would compete in the ranks of Best Director. Besides Fennell and Zhao, the nominations for Best Director were also filled with Thomas Vinterberg, David Fincher, and Lee Isaac Chung.

ICYMI: Congratulations to the Directing nominees! #OscarNoms pic.twitter.com/yIaAvqpv41

- The Academy (@TheAcademy) March 15, 2021

Oscar challenge

The new history of Oscar nominations this year means that the award ceremony is considered to have recognized the long-awaited diversity in the film industry. This achievement has been through a process of evaluation and criticism that continues over time and will continue in the future.

On the other hand, this positive step is a sign that the representation of various ethnic groups and races creates a balanced harmony in the world of film. It would be more interesting if this diversity of nominations could develop into a varied list of winners.