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Latinos have a long and diverse history at the Oscars, also known as the Academy Awards, with significant milestones, achievements, and contributions to the film industry. According to USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, only 57, or 2 percent, of winners have been Hispanic and/or Latino—and only 231, or 2 percent, of nominees have been Hispanic and/or Latino.
Here is a breakdown of Latino history at the Oscars.
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1920s-50s
The Oscars first debuted in 1927. While Latinos began making their mark in Hollywood in its early days, their roles were often limited and stereotyped.
The first Latino to win an Oscar was José Ferrer, a Puerto Rican actor, who won Best Actor in a Leading Role for his portrayal of Cyrano de Bergerac in the titular 1950 film.
Anthony Quinn, a Mexican American actor, dominated the 50s as a Latino actor, receiving a nomination for Best Actor in 1957 for the film Wild is the Wind, as well as Best Supporting Actor for Viva Zapata! in 1952 and Lust for Life in 1956—both of which he won.
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1960s-80s
Rita Moreno, a Puerto Rican actress, won the Best Supporting Actress award for her role in West Side Story in 1962, becoming the first Latina to win an Oscar. In the decades that followed, Latinos earned several nominees, but wins were rare. However, it marked the increasing presence and recognition of Latino talent in Hollywood.
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1990s-2000s
After years of little nominations and no wins, Puerto Rican Benicio del Toro took home a win for in 2001 for Best Supporting Actor in the film Traffic. In 2007, Mexican cinematographer Guillermo Navarro won an award for Best Cinematography for Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth, becoming the first Latin American cinematographer to win an Oscar.
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2010s
The 2010s highlighted a burst of Hispanic and Latino winners at the Oscars, especially behind the camera. In 2014, Kenyan Mexican actress Lupita Nyong’o was the only on-screen talent that took home an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in 12 Years a Slave.
In the cinematography category, Claudio Miranda started the surge of Latino winners for Best Cinematography for Life of Pi in 2012. Emmanuel Lubezki then won an Academy Award for Best Cinematography for his work on Gravity (2013), Birdman (2014), and The Revenant (2015), becoming the first Latin American cinematographer to win an Oscar three years in a row. Mexican film director Alfonso Cuarón capped off the decade with three wins for the film Roma in 2019—Best Director, Best Cinematography, and Best International Feature Film.
2020s
Guillermo del Toro is the most recent Latino to win an Oscar for Best Animated Feature for the film Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio in 2023.
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Latinos at the Oscars represent a rich tapestry of stories, struggles, and triumphs, reflecting both the challenges and the progress of diverse representation in Hollywood.
This article was created with assistance from AI.
