By Ericka Alston Buck,
Special to the AFRO

The 96th Annual Academy Awards will take place on March 10 in Los Angeles at the Dolby Theatre and the film industry’s Black talent will be on full display. 

In the past year, a host of extraordinary African-American nominees have garnered the spotlight in leading and supporting acting roles, as well as in a host of other capacities. 

Colman Domingo (left) and Da’Vine Joy Randolph (AP Photo / Danny Moloshok)
Danielle Brooks receives nomination for best actress in a supporting role for her powerful work in “The Color Purple” at the 2024 Oscars. (AP Photo/Richard Shotwell)
Sterling K. Brown is up for best actor in a supporting role after his performance in “American Fiction.” (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

“The Color Purple” was a blockbuster hit, introducing a whole new audience to the beauty of musicals. As a result, Danielle Brooks is currently nominated for her work in the reboot. She is vying for the award for best supporting actress this year. Da’Vine Joy Randolph, seen in “The Holdovers” is in the same category, along with America Ferrera, for her work in “Barbie.” They will all face off against Jodie Foster, who appeared in Nyad. 

For men on the big screen, Sterling K. Brown is a nominee, looking to take home the prize for best actor in a supporting role for his performance in “American Fiction.”

Colman Domingo made headlines for taking on the role of civil rights giant Bayard Rustin, in the movie “Rustin,” which premiered on Netflix. He is nominated for best actor in a leading role, along with Bradley Cooper, Paul Giamatti, Cillian Murphy and Jeffrey Wright. 

Wright, another popular Black actor with decades of film and television titles to his name, is up for the best actor in a leading role category for his work in “American Fiction.” Wright’s career has included shows like HBO’s Westworld, the movie “Cadillac Records” and the Broadway stage productions of “Topdog / Underdog.” He gained critical acclaim for his appearance in the film version of the play “Angels in America.” 

Beyond the spotlight of the acting categories, African Americans are making significant contributions to the cinematic landscape in various capacities. 
Notable nominees such as Jon Batiste, whose original song “It Never Went Away” from “American Symphony” earned a nod, exemplifying the richness and diversity of Black creativity. Other African Americans nominated for Oscars behind the scene include: “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” for best animated feature; “Bobi Wine: The People’s President” for best documentary feature; “The ABCs of Book Banning” for best documentary short; and “The Barber of Little Rock” for best documentary short.

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