Nine actors of color earned Academy Award nominations on Monday, setting an Oscar record for diversity in those categories.
The achievement comes after years of aggressive efforts by the Academy to diversify its membership in the wake of all-white acting nominees for the 2015 and 2016 ceremonies.
That ignominious event was almost repeated last year when just one Black actor, “Harriet” star Cynthia Erivo, earned a nomination (for best actress).This year, thankfully, was quite different.
“Minari” star Steven Yeun became the first Asian American ever nominated for best actor; in the same category, “Sound of Metal” star Riz Ahmed became the first person of Pakistani descent ever nominated for any acting Oscar.
And Yeun’s “Minari” costar Yuh-Jung Youn, a supporting actress nominee, is the first Korean person ever nominated for an acting Oscar.Along with Chadwick Boseman (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”), this is also the first time in Oscar history
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