Written by Bel Hernandez Castillo

Thirty years ago, Latino representation at the Academy Awards was almost invisible. In the mid-1990s, nominations for Latino artists were almost non existent and often limited to a single acting nod or a film from Latin America competing in the international category. Hollywood’s biggest night rarely reflected the depth of talent emerging from Latino communities in the United States and across Latin America.

The 98th Academy Awards, set for March 15, 2026 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, feature 12 Latino creatives recognized across acting, producing, writing, and animation categories. The nominations highlight the continued global influence of Latinos talent in both studio and independent filmmaking.

We can say that there has been some progress.

Throughout the 1990s there were only three Latinos who garnered an Academy Award nomination in the actor category. That is three actors in ten years: Andy Garcia (Best Supporting Actor, The Godfather Part III, 1990), Rosie Perez (Best Supporting Actress, Fearless, 1994), and Brazilian actress Fernanda Montenegro (Best Actress, Central Station, 1998), who was the first Latina nominated in that category.

Fast-forward to the 98th Academy Awards, and the picture—while still imperfect—shows meaningful progress. This year’s nominees include a historic Best Actor nomination for Wagner Moura, and a secont Oscar nomination for Oscar winner Benicio del Toro (for Traffic). However this year there is a strong showing behind the lens beginning with multiple nominations for visionary Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro. It is behind the scenes that Latino creatives are ceating and shaping major studio projects and independent film, including producer Yvett Merino and filmmaker Adrian Molina in the animated feature category — and more.

Compared with three decades ago—when Latino nominees could often be counted on one hand—the 2026 slate reflects a broader presence across acting, producing, writing, and directing. It’s a that there is more projects employing Latinos, or they themselves are creating the projects. There is definitely a stronger presence of Latino actors and behind the scenes creative, with an increasing move from the margins into the creative center of global filmmaking.

Yet the progress tells only part of the story. One glaring absence remains: Latinas. Despite a year rich with powerful performances and acclaimed films by Latina creatives, women of Latin American descent are largely missing from the nomination roster.

As Hollywood celebrates this year’s nominees, the conversation inevitably turns to the question that continues to echo through awards season: whose work is still being overlooked? But that is for another article.

For now we celebrate all the the Oscar nominees and draw your attention to the 2026 Latino Oscar nominees, from on-screen talent, to behind the camera. And the nominees are…

2026 Actor Oscar Nominees

ACTORS

Benicio del Toro

Nomination: Best Supporting Actor — One Battle After Another

Academy Award winner Benicio del Toro received his third career nomination for his role in Paul Thomas Anderson’s ensemble drama One Battle After Another. One of the most respected Latino actors in Hollywood, del Toro first gained global attention with films such as The Usual Suspects and Traffic, the latter earning him an Oscar. His career has spanned major franchises (Sicario, Star Wars: The Last Jedi) and auteur-driven cinema.

Oscar history:

Wagner Moura

Nomination: Best Actor — The Secret Agent

Brazilian actor Wagner Moura earned a historic nomination for his performance as a political dissident navigating Brazil’s military dictatorship in The Secret Agent. Moura first gained international recognition starring as Pablo Escobar in the Netflix series Narcos, after becoming one of Brazil’s most acclaimed actors through films such as Elite Squad and Elite Squad: The Enemy Within. Known for his politically charged roles and directing work, Moura continues to bridge Brazilian cinema with Hollywood productions.

Oscar history:

Notably, Moura becomes the first Brazilian man ever nominated for Best Actor.

Producing, Writing & Directing

Juan Arredondo

Nominations:

Colombian photojournalist and professor Juan Arredondo earned a 2026 Oscar nomination for Best Documentary Short Film Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud. Arredondo, who was severely wounded in the 2022 Ukraine attack that killed his colleague, produced and edited the film to honor Brent Renaud’s legacy.

Oscar history:

Guillermo del Toro

Nominations:

Mexican visionary Guillermo del Toro continues his remarkable awards legacy with multiple nominations for his gothic reimagining of Frankenstein. Del Toro is widely celebrated for blending dark fantasy with emotional storytelling in films such as Pan’s Labyrinth, The Shape of Water, and Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio. His work has made him one of the most influential filmmakers to emerge from Mexico’s modern cinematic wave.

Oscar history:

Yvett Merino

Nomination: Best Animated Feature — Zootopia 2 (Producer)


Photographed by: Mat Fretschel

Producer Yvett Merino has become one of the most prominent Latina executives in animation. As a producer at Walt Disney Animation Studios, she previously won the Oscar for Encanto, the globally celebrated musical inspired by Colombian culture. With Zootopia 2, Merino continues her work shepherding large-scale animated storytelling within the Disney system.

Oscar history:

Nidia Santiago 

Nomination: Little Amélie or the Character of Rain (Producer)

Multiple award- winning producer for the animated short Little Amélie or the Character of Rain including an Oscar. In her productions we find the titles Chulyen, histoire de corbeau by Cerise Lopez and Agnès Patron (nominated for the Emile Awards 2017); Negative Space by Ru Kuwahata and Max Porter (FIPRESCI Award at the Annecy Festival, Grand Prix at Animamundi (Brazil), nominated for the Oscars in 2018.

Oscar history:

Adrian Molina

Nomination: Best Animated Feature — Elio (Co-Director)

Adrian Molina is best known as the co-director and co-writer of Pixar’s Coco, which celebrated Mexican culture and became a global box office success. Molina returned to Pixar’s director’s chair with Elio, a sci-fi adventure about a boy mistakenly identified as Earth’s ambassador to an intergalactic council.

Oscar history:

Beyond the acting and directing categories, Latino talent continues to make a significant impact behind the camera, shaping the visual, technical, and sonic elements of some of the year’s most talked-about films.

Ken Diaz

Oscar Nomination: Best Makeup and Hairstyling — Sinners

Veteran makeup artist Ken Diaz earned an Academy Award nomination for his work on the genre-bending supernatural drama Sinners. Diaz, known in Hollywood for his expertise in character transformation and special makeup effects, helped create the film’s striking visual aesthetic alongside collaborators Mike Fontaine and Shunika Terry. The nomination places Diaz among the few Latino artists recognized in the Academy’s makeup branch in recent years. He has three Primetime Emmys for his work as a make-up artist in television and an overall of six nominations. With the Sinners nomination that makes him a three time Oscar nominee My Family/Mi Familia (1996) and Dad (1990). The chances of a “third time is the charm” just might work out.

Oscar history:

Jose Antonio Garcia

Oscar Nomination: Best Achievement in Sound Mixing, One Battle After Another

 José Antonio García a renowned Oscar-nominated and awarded sound engineer Mexican known for his work on major films like Argo (2012), Roma (2018), and the 2025 film One Battle After Another. He has received multiple Acadmey Award nominations for Best Sound Mixing throughout his career.

Oscar history:

Felipe Pacheco

Nomination: Best Sound — Sinners

Costa Rican–born sound editor Felipe Pacheco received an Oscar nomination as part of the sound team for Sinners. A Berklee College of Music graduate, Pacheco has built a reputation in Hollywood for his work on large-scale productions and streaming series, including the acclaimed Apple TV+ series Severance. His nomination reflects the increasingly global nature of sound design teams in modern filmmaking.

Oscar history:

Adolpho Veloso

Nomination: Best Cinematography — Train Dreams

Brazilian cinematographer Adolpho Veloso earned a historic nomination for his atmospheric photography on Train Dreams. Known for his painterly visual style and ability to capture expansive natural landscapes, Veloso became one of the few Brazilian cinematographers ever nominated in the category, bringing international attention to his work.

Oscar history:

Gabriel Domingues

Nomination: Best Casting — The Secret Agent

Brazilian casting director Gabriel Domingues received an Oscar nomination for assembling the ensemble of The Secret Agent. His work recreating the political and social landscape of 1970s Brazil through casting was widely praised and marks recognition in the Academy’s newly introduced casting category.

Oscar history:

Additional, although not an Oscar nominee Danya Jimenez is a Mexican American screenwriter and LMU alumna who, alongside writing partner Hannah McMechan, co-wrote the 2025 hit animated film KPop Demon Hunters which is a two time Oscar nominee. Released on Netflix, the musical action-comedy became a global phenomenon, ranking as the platform’s #1 most-watched movie. The duo was named to Variety’s 2025 screenwriters to watch list. 

The progress from three decades ago is undeniable. Latino artists today are directing Oscar-winning films, leading global franchises, and shaping Hollywood’s creative future. Yet the absence of Latina nominees in 2026 is a reminder that the industry’s evolution remains incomplete. Until the Academy’s ballot consistently reflects the full spectrum of Latino talent—women included—the celebration will always carry a note of unfinished business.

About the Author

Bel Hernandez Castillo

Administrator

Bel Hernandez was one of the founders of Latin Heat. Since 1992 she has been covering the business of Latinos in Hollywood. In 2021 She was named Publisher of the year by the NHPA. She continues and is delighted to keep spotlighting and speaking with amazing Latino talent in front and behind the camera.

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