List of Indigenous Academy Award winners and nominees explained

This is a list of Indigenous people who have won or been nominated for Academy Awards. It includes those of provable Indigenous descent regardless of whether they passed as white at the time of their nomination, such as Merle Oberon.^[1]

Best Actor

Year (Ceremony)	Name	Country	Ethnic group(s)	Film	Status	Milestone / Notes	Ref.
1999 (72nd)	Russell Crowe		Māori (Polynesian)	The Insider		First Māori of Ngāti Porou descent to be nominated for an Academy Award. First person of Indigenous descent to be nominated for Best Actor.	^[3] ^[4]
2000 (73rd)				Gladiator		First Pacific Islander to win an Academy Award. First person of Indigenous descent to win Best Actor. First person of Indigenous descent to receive multiple nominations.	^[5]
2001 (74th)				A Beautiful Mind		Ninth actor to receive three consecutive nominations.	^[6]
2018 (91st)	Rami Malek		Coptic	Bohemian Rhapsody		First Copt to be nominated for and to win an Academy Award.	^[7] ^[8]

Best Actress

Year (Ceremony)	Name	Country	Ethnic group(s)	Film	Status	Milestone / Notes	Ref.
1935 (8th)	Merle Oberon		Māori (Polynesian)	The Dark Angel		First person of Indigenous descent to be nominated for an Academy Award.	^[9]
2003 (76th)	Keisha Castle-Hughes			Whale Rider		Debut performance. First Māori of Tainui and Ngāpuhi descent to be nominated for an Academy Award. At the time of nomination, she was the youngest ever nominee in the category. She is the now the second youngest after Quvenzhané Wallis.	^[10]
2018 (91st)	Yalitza Aparicio		Mixtec & Trique (Native Mexican)	Roma		Debut performance. First North American Indigenous woman to receive an Academy Award nomination for acting.
2023 (96th)	Lily Gladstone		Piegan Blackfeet & Nez Perce (Native American)	Killers of the Flower Moon		First Native American actress to be nominated for an Academy Award.	^[11]

Best Supporting Actor

Year (Ceremony)	Name	Country	Ethnic group(s)	Film	Status	Milestones/Notes	Ref.
1970 (43rd)	Chief Dan George		Tsleil-Waututh (First Nations)	Little Big Man		First North American Indigenous person to be nominated for an Academy Award. First Indigenous person to be nominated for Best Supporting Actor.	^[12]
1987 (60th)	Sean Connery		Irish Traveller	The Untouchables		First person of European Indigenous descent to be nominated for an Academy Award, along with Nils Gaup for Pathfinder. First person of European Indigenous descent to win an Academy Award. First person of Indigenous descent to win Best Supporting Actor.	^[13] ^[14]
1990 (63rd)	Graham Greene		Oneida (First Nations)	Dances With Wolves		First Oneida to be nominated for an Academy Award.	^[15]

Best Original Score

Year (Ceremony)	Name	Country	Ethnic group(s)	Film	Status	Milestone / Notes	Ref.
1987 (60th)	Jonas Gwangwa		Northern Ndebele	Cry Freedom		First African Indigenous person to be nominated for an Academy Award. First Indigenous person to be nominated for Best Original Score. Shared with George Fenton.	^[18]
2023 (96th)	Robbie Robertson		Cayuga & Mohawk (First Nations)	Killers of the Flower Moon		First Cayuga and first Mohawk to be nominated for an Academy Award. Posthumous release.

Best Original Song

Year (Ceremony)	Name	Country	Ethnic group(s)	Film	Song	Status	Milestones/Notes	Ref.
1982 (55th)	Buffy Sainte-Marie		English & Italian, culturally adopted by the Piapot First Nation^[19]	An Officer and a Gentleman	"Up Where We Belong"		Thought to have been the first Indigenous person to win an Academy Award, it was later discovered through a CBC documentary released in 2023 that she may have lied about her claims to Indigenous ancestry. Her title as the first Indigenous Academy Award winner is still under review until allegations made by CBC are accepted as fact or not. Shared with Jack Nitzsche and Will Jennings.	^[20] ^[21]
1987 (60th)	Jonas Gwangwa		Northern Ndebele	Cry Freedom	"Cry Freedom"		First African Indigenous person to be nominated for an Academy Award. Shared with George Fenton.
2023 (96th)	Scott George		Osage Nation (Native American)	Killers of the Flower Moon	"Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People)"		First member of the Osage Nation to be nominated for an Academy Award.	^[22]

Best Production Design

Year (Ceremony)	Name	Country	Ethnic group(s)	Film	Status	Milestone / Notes	Ref.
2012 (85th)	Ra Vincent		Māori (Polynesian)			First Indigenous person to be nominated for Best Production Design. Shared with Dan Hennah and Simon Bright.	^[23] ^[24]
2019 (92nd)				Jojo Rabbit		Shared with Nora Sopková.

Best Sound

Year (Ceremony)	Name	Country	Ethnic group(s)	Film	Status	Milestone / Notes	Ref.
2001 (74th)	Hammond Peek		Māori (Polynesian)			First Māori of Ngāi Tahu and Te Āti Awa descent to be nominated for an Academy Award. First Indigenous person to be nominated for Best Sound. Shared with Christopher Boyes, Michael Semanick and Gethin Creagh.	^[25]
2002 (75th)						Shared with Christopher Boyes, Michael Semanick and Michael Hedges.	^[26]
2003 (76th)						First Māori of Ngāi Tahu and Te Āti Awa descent to win an Academy Award. First Indigenous person to win Best Sound. Shared with Christopher Boyes, Michael Semanick and Michael Hedges.
2005 (78th)				King Kong		First Indigenous person to win multiple Academy Awards. Most nominated Indigenous person, with four nominations. Shared with Christopher Boyes, Michael Semanick and Michael Hedges.	^[27]

Best Short Film, Live Action

Year (Ceremony)	Name	Country	Ethnic group(s)	Film	Status	Milestone / Notes	Ref.
2004 (77th)	Taika Waititi Ainsley Gardiner		Māori (Polynesian)	Two Cars, One Night		First Māori of Te Whānau-ā-Apanui descent to be nominated for an Academy Award. Gardiner is also the first Māori of Ngāti Pikiao and Ngāti Awa descent to be nominated for an Academy Award. First Indigenous people to be nominated for Best Short Film, Live Action.	^[28]
2023 (96th)	Misan Harriman		Itsekiri	The After		First Itsekiri to be nominated for an Academy Award. Shared with Nicky Bentham.	^[29] ^[30]

Notes and References

1. News: 'She had to hide': the secret history of the first Asian woman nominated for a best actress Oscar . Lawrence . Andrew . 2023-03-07 . 2023-12-01 . . Viner . Katharine . Katharine Viner . 0261-3077 . 1756-3224 . 60623878 . Her mother, believed to have been of Sri Lankan and Māori ancestry, was just 14 when she gave birth in 1911. After centuries of intermixing, babies born from biracial relationships had evolved into a quiet shame – shunned by Britons and Indians alike..
2. Web site: 2020 | Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . Oscars.org . 2020-02-09 . 2024-03-06.
3. 353596721428824064 . russellcrowe . Born NZ, live Australia, 1 Welsh grandad, 1 Scottish, also Italian, Norwegian & Maori heritage, also English in there but I don't mention that . Russell Crowe . July 6, 2013 . March 3, 2024.
4. Web site: 2000 | Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . Oscars.org . 2000-03-26 . 2024-03-06.
5. Web site: 2001 | Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . Oscars.org . 2001-03-25 . 2024-03-06.
6. Web site: 2002 | Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . Oscars.org . 2002-03-24 . 2024-03-06.
7. Web site: 'You Better Own This': How Rami Malek Came To Embody Freddie Mercury . Gross . Terry . Terry Gross . . 2018-11-21 . 2024-03-13.
8. Web site: 2019 | Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . Oscars.org . 2019-02-24 . 2020-02-16.
9. Web site: 1936 | Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . Oscars.org . 1936-03-05 . 2024-03-06.
10. Web site: 2004 | Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . Oscars.org . 2004-02-29 . 2024-03-06.
11. Web site: Lang . Brent . Moreau . Jordan . Oscar Nominations 2024: ‘Oppenheimer’ Dominates With 13 Nods, ‘Poor Things’ Follows With 11 . Variety . 23 January 2024 . 23 January 2024.
12. Web site: 1971 | Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . Oscars.org . 1971-04-15 . 2020-02-16.
13. Web site: Connery's Wexford roots are revealed . 2024-03-03 . . 2005-12-01 . en.
14. Web site: 1988 | Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . Oscars.org . 1988-04-11 . 2024-03-06.
15. Web site: 1991 | Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . Oscars.org . 1991-03-25 . 2020-02-16.
16. Web site: 1967 | Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . Oscars.org . 1967-04-10 . 2020-02-16.
17. Web site: Brown . Tracy . Taika Waititi makes Oscars history as first Maori Academy Award winner . . 10 February 2020 . 18 February 2020.
18. News: Ledwaba . Lucas . 2021-01-29 . How Jonas Gwangwa used his music to preserve his mother tongue . . 2024-03-15.
19. Web site: October 27, 2023 . Who is the real Buffy Sainte-Marie? . January 23, 2024 . CBC News.
20. Web site: 1983 | Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . Oscars.org . 1983-04-11 . 2020-02-16.
21. Web site: Warner . Andrea . Buffy Sainte-Marie's Authorized Biography Serves As A 'Map Of Hope' . NPR . 2018-09-29 . 2020-02-16.
22. Web site: Maupin . Jennifer . 'Killers of the Flower Moon' nominated for 10 Oscars . KJRH . 23 January 2024 . 23 January 2024.
23. Web site: Ligia . Ka whiti mai te rā! . 2020-02-14 . 2024-03-06 . Library Blog . en-US.
24. Web site: 2013 | Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . Oscars.org . 2013-02-24 . 2024-03-06.
25. Web site: Double Oscar Winner . Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu . 2017-10-05 . 2024-03-06.
26. Web site: 2003 | Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . Oscars.org . 2003-03-23 . 2024-03-06.
27. Web site: 2006 | Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . Oscars.org . 2006-03-05 . 2024-03-06.
28. Web site: 2005 | Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . Oscars.org . 2005-02-27 . 2024-03-06.
29. News: Misan Harriman: Nigerian who played a role in Prince Harry, Meghan love story . . 2021-02-16 . 2024-03-16 . Harriman was born in Calabar, in 1977. He is the son of Chief Hope Harriman, the colourful Itsekiri chief, who died in 2012 at the age of 79..
30. Web site: 2024 | Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . Oscars.org . 2024-03-10 . 2024-03-16.
31. Web site: Bahr . Linsey . 26 October 2019 . Wes Studi to make Oscars history for Native American actors . 2020-08-29 . ABC News . en.