Cynthia Erivo is the First Nigerian Born Woman To Be Nominated for Academy Awards

Cynthia Erivo is the First Nigerian Born Woman To Be Nominated for Academy Awards

Cynthia Erivo is the first Nigerian born woman to be nominated for two Academy Awards for Best Actress and the first Nigerian nominee for the Best Original Song.

She has been nominated for the highly coveted Oscars in two top categories of Best Actress for her outstanding role of Harriet Tubman, the legendary African American abolitionist in the biopic, Harriet and for the Best Original Song for her song "Stand Up" for the historic film.
She is the only black acting nominee. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) announced that Cynthia Erivo will also perform "Stand Up" at the 92nd Oscars on February 9, 2020.

“Being nominated as an actress was one big dream, but being nominated for the music I make and perform is one of the ultimates, because ever since I could remember I’ve wanted to sing on the @theacademy #oscars stage. I get to do it with my song. Goodness!! See you on the 9th,” she posted on #Instagram.

Cynthia Onyedinmanasu Chinasaokwu Erivo was born on January 8, 1987.
Erivo was born to Nigerian parents in Stockwell, South London.
She attended La Retraite Roman Catholic Girls' School. Erivo began a music psychology degree at the University of East London; however, a year into her degree, she applied and subsequently trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.

She is known for her performance as Celie in the Broadway revival of "The Color" Purple, for which she won the 2016 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical, the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical, the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album, and the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Musical Performance in a Daytime Program, the latter two she shared with the rest of the cast.

She said her mother is her number one mentor.