This is is a list of every indigenous person to be nominated for an Oscar. This includes, but is not limited to, Native Americans, indigenous Canadians, Native Mexicans, Native Polynesians, and anyone with such ancestry.
"Indigenous" is defined by the WHO as "communities that live within, or are attached to, geographically distinct traditional habitats or ancestral territories, and who identify themselves as being part of a distinct cultural group, descended from groups present in the area before modern states were created and current borders defined."
Most commonly used to refer to groups of people descended from communities who lived in an area prior to the modern notion of the nation-state, in regions of the world that were affected significantly by…
This is is a list of every indigenous person to be nominated for an Oscar. This includes, but is not limited to, Native Americans, indigenous Canadians, Native Mexicans, Native Polynesians, and anyone with such ancestry.
"Indigenous" is defined by the WHO as "communities that live within, or are attached to, geographically distinct traditional habitats or ancestral territories, and who identify themselves as being part of a distinct cultural group, descended from groups present in the area before modern states were created and current borders defined."
Most commonly used to refer to groups of people descended from communities who lived in an area prior to the modern notion of the nation-state, in regions of the world that were affected significantly by colonialism and outside invasions, these groups of people tend to face a heavy amount of discrimination throughout the world. Of course, unsurprisingly, this does extend to the American entertainment industry where, to this day, it is difficult for indigenous people to achieve any kind of mainstream recognition.
As of 2026, the most recent year without an Indigenous Oscar nominee is 2026. This isn't entirely the Academy's fault since indigenous people still aren't commonly represented in cinema, behind or in front of the camera, but it is the reality.
Special Note: The award for Best International Feature is technically given to the submitting country and not to any individual. However, it is the director who accepts the award on behalf of the country and so, for the purposes of recognizing indigenous contributions to the Oscars, films directed by indigenous people that were nominated for this category will be included.
Categories:
Best Supporting Actress:
- Nominated: 1966 (Jocelyn LaGarde - Hawaii)
Best Supporting Actor:
- Nominated: 1970 (Chief Dan George - Little Big Man)
- Total: 2/0
Best Original Song:
- Nominated: 1982 (Buffy Sainte-Marie - An Officer and a Gentleman)
- Won: 1982 (Buffy Sainte-Marie - An Officer and a Gentleman)
- Total: 2/1
Best Original Score:
- Nominated: 1987 (Jonas Gwangwa - Cry Freedom)
- Total: 2/0
Best International Feature Film:
- Nominated: 1987 (Nils Gaup - Pathfinder)
Best Actor
- Nominated: 2000 (Russell Crowe - The Insider)
- Won: 2001 (Russell Crowe - Gladiator)
- Total: 4/2
Best Sound:
- Nominated: 2002 (Hammond Peek - The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring)
- Won: 2004 (Hammond Peek - The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King)
- Total: 4/2
Best Actress:
- Nominated: 2003 (Keisha Castle-Hughes - Whale Rider)
- Total: 3/0
Best Live Action Short/
- Nominated: 2004 (Taika Waititi and Ainsley Gardiner - Two Cars, One Night)
- Total: 2/0
Best Production Design:
- Nominated: 2012 (Ra Vincent - The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey)
- Total: 2/0
Best Picture:
- Nominated: 2019 (Taika Waititi and Chelsea Winstanley - Jojo Rabbit)
- Total: 1/0
Best Adapted Screenplay:
- Nominated: 2019 (Taika Waititi - Jojo Rabbit)
- Won: 2019 (Taika Waititi - Jojo Rabbit)
- Total: 1/1
Best Documentary Feature:
- Nominated: 2025 (Julian Brave Noisecat - Sugarcane)
- Total: 1/0
Special Award:
- Honorary Award: 1
