Autumn Durald Arkapaw won the 2026 Oscar for Best Cinematography on March 15, making her the first woman, and woman of color, to win in this category.

During her acceptance speech, the awardee asked all of the women in the room to stand up so they could be recognized as well.

“I don’t get here without you guys, and I really, really truly mean that,” said Arkapaw while acknowledging the women at the award show. “I have felt so much love from all the women on this whole campaign and 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.”

The win feels appropriate as March is Women’s History Month, and Arkapaw even received praise online from the National Women’s History Museum.

Though she is the first woman to win in this category, she is one of four women who have been nominated. During her speech, she showed appreciation for the first woman ever nominated, Rachel Morrison, who was nominated in 2018 for “Mudhound.”

Arkapaw also gave recognition to Ellen Kuras, an accomplished cinematographer, during her speech. In an article from TheWrap, Arkapaw said that Kuras’ work in the movie “Blow” inspired her to study cinematography.

“I thought, well, if she’s doing it, that means I can do it,” Arkapaw told reporters at TheWrap.

With this accomplishment, Arkapaw hopes that she can inspire young filmmakers to move forward in this industry.

For more information on the Academy Awards and its winners, visit https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2026.