Fresh off the heels from winning a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture Drama, MOONLIGHT, the coming of age story of an inner city black queer youth, today received eight Oscar® nominations, including one for Best Picture.  

Others noms for MOONLIGHT include Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Film Editing and Original Score. Individual nominations included: Barry Jenkins for Best Director, Mahershala Ali for Best Supporting Actor and Naomie Harris for Best Supporting Actress.  While other LGBTQ films have garnered major individual honors, MOONLIGHT is notable for the number of nominations acquired within a single year within the Academy’s history. The last LGBTQ film to receive eight nominations was the Harvey Milk biopic MILK (2008), which took home two statuettes:  Best Original Screenplay for Dustin Lance Black and Best Actor for Sean Penn.

Immediately following the announcements, GLAAD President & CEO Sarah Kate Ellis tweeted:

U.S. films reach audiences around the world. The global impact of inclusive and diverse stories is massive and changes hearts and minds.

— Sarah Kate Ellis (@sarahkateellis) January 24, 2017

Ruth Negga was nominated (Best Actress) for her strong and focused performance in LOVING, the story behind the Supreme Court decision that many say paved the way for marriage equality. The Documentary Feature category also featured a diverse group of nominees, including I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO, 13th, and OJ: MADE IN AMERICA.

In an early morning announcement, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Cheryl Boone Isaacs was joined by several Oscar®-winning and nominated Academy members including Jennifer Hudson, Brie Larson, Emmanuel Lubezki, Jason Reitman and Ken Watanabe to reveal the 89th Oscars® nominations, a departure from their tradition of doing so in front of a live audience.  This year’s nominations were announced via a global live stream at the Academy’s online site, on their digital platforms, via local broadcasters and on morning television programs.

Hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, the Academy Awards will air live on ABC at 5:30 pm PT / 8:30 pm ET on Sunday, February 26. Though the “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” star has hosted several major awards shows in the past, this will be his first time hosting the Academy Awards.  A full listing of all of the 2017 Academy Award nominees can be found here.