Viola Davis Makes History: ‘Fences’ Star Becomes First African-American Actress To Earn Three Oscar Nominations

Viola Davis made history on Tuesday by earning her third Oscar nomination for her role in the critically acclaimed film “Fences.” The “How To Get Away With Murder” star became the first black actress to earn three Academy Award nominations in history.

The 51-year-old actress has been previously nominated for an Oscar back in 2008 for best supporting actress for her performance in “Doubt.” In 2011, the Emmy award winner bagged a best actress nomination at the Oscars for her performance in “The Help.” She lost both times, but maybe the third time is the charm? After all, several fans are predicting that she will finally win an Academy Award. Given that, the Golden Globes are a good way to determine if someone will win an Oscar and that Davis won a Globe for “Fences,” the odds may be in her favor.

Davis told the Los Angeles Times, “Thank you to the Academy for recognizing this extraordinary, important film and my work in it. Thank you, Denzel, for being at the helm!”

If Davis takes home the Oscar this year, she will be closer to having an EGOT status. The coveted states, which stands for Emmy, Golden Globe, Oscar and Tony, is awarded to stars who have won all four coveted awards. The African-American actress already won an Emmy for “HTGAWM” and a Golden Globe for “Fences.” She also won a Tony award for “Fences” in 2010. Which means, she only has an Oscar left.

After the #OscarsSoWhite controversy, the academy has nominated more actors and actress of color this year. Octavia Spencer is in the running for best supporting actress for her performance in “Hidden Figures,” Ruth Negga is in contention for best actress for her role in “Loving” and Naomie Harris has been nominated for best actress in a supporting role for “Moonlight.”

The Oscars airs live on Feb. 26 at 7 p.m. EST on ABC.