These are the record-breaking diversity moments to watch at the 98th Academy Awards

If everything falls into place, the 98th Academy Awards could permanently reshape the record books across race, nationality, and gender. While there is always room for more representation, this year could mark major firsts across multiple categories.

At the center of it all is Sinners, directed by Ryan Coogler, which made history with 16 nominations, the most ever for a single film. Coogler could become the first Black director to win Best Director. 

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If he also wins Best Picture as a producer, he would join a very short list of Black producers to do so, and Zinzi Coogler would become the first Black woman to win Best Picture.

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In acting, Wagner Moura could become the first Brazilian to ever win an acting Oscar. Wunmi Mosaku could become the first Nigerian to ever win an Oscar, and the first Nigerian actress to win in any acting category. 

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Benicio del Toro could become the first Puerto Rican actor to win multiple Oscars.

Behind the camera, the breakthroughs are just as significant. Autumn Durald Arkapaw could become the first woman ever and the first Black cinematographer to win Best Cinematography, a category that has never been awarded to a woman in its history.

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Adolpho Veloso could become the first Brazilian winner in Cinematography, while Darius Khondji could become the first Iranian winner in the category.

In costume design, Ruth E. Carter could become the first Black woman to win three competitive Oscars, extending her historic legacy. In production design, Hannah Beachler could become the first Black woman to win twice in that category.

The writing races could also break barriers. Jafar Panahi and his collaborators could become the first Iranian writers to win Best Original Screenplay. 

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Chloé Zhao could become the first Asian woman to win Best Adapted Screenplay, and the first Chinese writer to win in either screenplay category. Guillermo del Toro could become the first Mexican and the first Latin winner in Best Adapted Screenplay.

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In music, “Golden” could become the first K-Pop song to ever win an Oscar, with its writers becoming the first South Koreans to win in Best Original Song.

The documentary and technical categories also carry major firsts. Alysa Payne and Christalyn Hampton could each become the first Black women to win in Documentary Feature and Documentary Short, respectively. 

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Juan Arredondo could become the first Colombian to ever win an Oscar if he wins for Best Documentary (Short Subject). 

Felipe Pacheco could become the first individual from Costa Rica to win an Oscar. Meanwhile, the all-female team of Amanda Villavieja, Laia Casanovas, and Yasmina Praderas could become the first Spanish winners in Best Sound and the first all-female team to ever win in that category.

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In animation, Maggie Kang and Michelle L.M. Wong could become the first individuals of South Korean descent to win Best Animated Feature, while Domee Shi could become the first individual of Chinese descent to win in the category.

And on the international stage, Tunisia could secure its first-ever Oscar win in International Feature.

In short, this is not just another awards night. It could be a global turning point for representation at the Academy. See the rest of the 50+ records that could be broken at Vegasinsider.com.

Tune in to the 98th Oscars at 7:00 pm EDT / 4:00 pm PDT / 11:00 pm GMT / 7:00 am CST. Watch live on ABC or stream on Hulu for the first time.