Denzel Washington Has The Most Oscar Nominations for Black Actors

Denzel Washington was recently nominated for his tenth acting award, which the Academy announced on Tuesday.

The 67-year-old A-Lister has made history by holding the record for the most nominated person of color.

He earned the nomination for his role in the iconic historical drama, "The Tragedy Of Macbeth." The actor will face stiff competition against Andrew Garfield for "tick, tick… BOOM!" Javier Bardem for "Being The Ricardos," and Will Smith for "King Richard."

In a statement released by People, Washington spoke of his nomination. "The Tragedy of Macbeth was one of the best experiences of my career. Joel Coen is a genius, and I hope the nominations for the film will allow for more people to enjoy a terrific cinematic experience," he added of the drama's director. 

"Thank you to the members of the Academy for the recognition and to A24 and Apple for their ongoing support."

His record-setting nomination comes a year after Viola Davis broke her own Oscars record as the most-nominated Black actress ever, nabbing her fourth nomination for Ma Rainey's "Black Bottom."

Washington was initially nominated for an Oscar in 1988 as the Best Supporting Actor for his role in "Cry Freedom." He was also nominated for his role in 1993's "Malcolm X," 2000's "The Hurricane," 2013's

"Flight," 2017's "Fences," and 2018's "Roman J. Israel, Esq."

Two years later, he bagged his first Oscar Award for Best Supporting Actor for the 1990 film "Glory." He also went on to win Best Actor in 2002 for "Training Day."

He appeared with Ethan Hawke, who played a newbie cop as a Los Angeles narcotics officer on his first day. He worked side-by-side with a rogue detective who wasn't what he appeared to be.

He was the second black man to win Best Actor after Sidney Poitier, who last won it in 1964.

Washington was nominated for Best Motion Picture of the Year for "Fences" with Todd Black and Scott Rudin.

Six years after the #OscarsSoWhite firestorm, diversity continued to be a significant focus both for the film academy– which has dramatically expanded and diversified its membership–and for armchair Oscar observers. 

On that note, this year symbolizes a little bit of disappointment after last year's nominations. However, some milestones were reached.

In last year's awards, a record of nine of the total 20 nominations in the acting categories went to black people. This included movies such as "Judas and the Black Messiah" and "Minari."

Only four actors did this year, including supporting actress nominees Aunjanue Ellis ("King Richard") and Ariana DeBose ("West Side Story.”) and Will Smith ("King Richard"), who earned his first acting nomination since 2007. Washington also clinched his 10th career Oscar nomination with "The Tragedy of Macbeth."

Troy Kotsur also became the second deaf actor ever to receive an Oscar nomination for his work in "CODA."

Ari Wegner became the second woman ever nominated in the cinematography category. Similarly, Germaine Franco, the "Encanto" composer, became only the third woman to be nominated for the original score in the last 20 years. 

Queer actors DeBose and Stewart represented another step forward for inclusion with their nominations.

The black and white movie written and directed by Joel Coen is based on a screenplay by William Shakespeare. It is focused on a Scottish lord who becomes convinced by three witches of his Kingship in Scotland. His wife supports him in his plans of seizing power. Eventually, his ultimate downfall becomes his lust for power and ambition.

The A-Lister stars in the movie, along with Frances McDormand as the titular character. In addition to the pair, the film also features Bertie Carvel, Sean Patrick Thomas, Brendan Gleeson, Corey Hawkins, Kathryn Hunter, Alex Hassell, Moses Ingram, Ralph Ineson, Harry Melling, Brian Thompson, Richard Short, and Stephen Root.

The adaptation also debuted in September at the New York Film Festival. It's also nominated for Cinematography and Best Production Design.

The Oscars, also known as The Academy Awards, are merited awards for the film and movie industry. It's primarily recognized as a prestigious and important award globally.

It's given every year by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and it's a visible proof of excellence in cinematic achievements, which is usually accessed by the Academy's voting system.

Winners in various categories are given a golden statue as a trophy, and this trophy is usually called the Oscar. The sculpture portrays a king exhibited in the Art Deco style.

The Oscars were first broadcast by radio in 1930 and televised 23 years after. It's the oldest entertainment award globally and is now televised everywhere in the world.