'Hearing Those Numbers Saddens Me.' Ryan Coogler On Being One Of The Few Black Filmmakers To Receive A Best Director Nod

Ryan Coogler Shares What 'Saddens' Him About The Academy Awards

Ryan Coogler has opened up about what makes him sad about the history of the Academy Awards. ​According to a USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative study,  just 2% of all Oscar nominees and 2% of all winners from 1929 to 2025 were Black. Those figures came out to a total of  274 nominations and 63 winners in the history of the Academy. In a recent interview, the acclaimed filmmaker spoke about how the work of Black people in the industry has been ig…

BLK ALERTS - As he eyes a historic Oscar, Ryan Coogler honors the 6 Black director nominees who paved the way for him

SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 10: Ryan Coogler speaks onstage with FIJI Water at the 41st annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival: Outstanding Directors Award at The Arlington Theatre on February 10, 2026 in Santa Barbara, California. (Photo by Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for FIJI Water)Photo by: Phillip Faraone / Getty Images Six Black men have been nominated for Best Director Oscars; none have won, but Ryan Coogler says “that …

'Hearing Those Numbers Saddens Me.' Ryan Coogler On Being One Of The Few Black Filmmakers To Receive A Best Director Nod

Ryan Coogler is one of just a few Black filmmakers who has been nominated for Best Director, and he recently shared his perspective on that.