It is a year of diversity and firsts for Oscar nominations. The Oscars given by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences are widely considered the top awards for Hollywood and the movie industry worldwide. This week, the academy honored two women with nominations for the best director Oscar, a big change from years past. Chlo Zhao was nominated for “Nomadland” and Emerald Fennell for “Promising Young Woman.” They were among 70 women who received a record 76 nominations. The nominees for acting awards also received special attention. Eleven of the acting nominees have never been nominated before. The decision by film studios to postpone big, costly movies in 2020 permitted new faces to be noted. Six of those nominated for acting awards are Black including the late Chadwick Boseman for “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and Andra Day for “The United States vs. Billie Holiday.”