Black Oscars 2019: List of Black Oscar Winners

black oscars

Getty In this handout provided by A.M.P.A.S., Spike Lee, David Rabinowitz, Kevin Willmott and Charlie Wachtel pose with the Adapted Screenplay award for 'BlacKkKlansman' backstage during the 91st Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre on February 24, 2019 in Hollywood, California.

The 91st Academy Awards welcomed seven black winners across six categories, making it the year with the most individual black winners according to the Los Angeles Times.

This beats the previous record held by 2017’s award show, where six African-Americans were honored with awards in five categories according to the publication.

Here is the list of black Oscar winners for the 91st Academy Awards.


Ruth Carter – Costume Design

Ruth Carter became the first African-American to win an Oscar for Costume Design.

She won the award for her work in bringing the costumes of Black Panther to life. During her acceptance speech, she thanked Spike Lee for giving her her first big break with School Daze. She said that the award was “a long time coming,” as she was nominated for Costume Design for her work on Malcolm X and Amistad.

“Marvel may have created the first black superhero, but through costume design, we turned him into an African king,” Carter said.

She also dedicated the award to her 97-year-old mother watching the award show in Massachusetts.

“Mom, thank you for teaching me about people and telling their stories,” Carter said. “You are the original super hero.”

Black Panther also took home awards for Music (Original Score) and Production Design. It was also nominated for Best Picture, being the first film based on a comic book to do so.


Hannah Beachler – Production Design

Hannah Beachler was the first African-American to be nominated for an Oscar for Production Design for her work on Black Panter, and now she’s the first one to win the award.

She was honored along with Set Decorator Jay Hart, who won his first Oscar after being nominated for Pleasantville and L.A. Confidential, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Upon earning her award, Beachler said that winning it “means breaking down walls and opening up something for the next to come through for people, for young women of color and boys and girls of color to see that this is not impossible. I hope I’m the last of the first. And now it’s just going to be business as usual and people from all backgrounds and all colors and all religions could do this work, and maybe I’ve made it a little easier for them.”


Mahershala Ali – Actor in a Supporting Role

Mahershala Ali won the Oscar for Actor in a Supporting Role for portraying Don Shirley in Green Book.

This is Ali’s second Oscar for the same category. He won the award in 2017 for Moonlight, becoming the first Muslim actor to win an Oscar according to The Guardian. Now he’s the first black actor and Muslim actor to win best supporting actor twice, according to the publication.

Green Book also won the Oscar for Best Picture as well as Writing (Original Screenplay).


Regina King – Actress in a Supporting Role

Regina King won the award for Actress in a Supporting Role for her role in in If Beale Street Could Talk.

King won a Golden Globe award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture for If Beale Street Could Talk.

During her acceptance speech, she thanked her mother as well as James Baldwin, the author of the book that was adapted to If Beale Street Could Talk.

“James Baldwin birthed this baby. And Barry, you nurtured her, surrounded her with so much love and support. So, it’s appropriate for me to be standing here, because I’m an example of what it looks like when support and love is poured into someone. Mom, I love you so much. Thank you for teaching me that God is always leaning, always has been leaning in my direction.”

King also won three Primetime Emmy Awards in 2015, 2016 and 2018. According to CNN, she is the third black actress to win both an Oscar and a Primetime Emmy, an honor she shares with Halle Berry and Viola Davis.


BlacKkKlansman – Adapted Screenplay

Spike Lee, Kevin Willmott, Charlie Wachtel and David Rabinowitz won the Oscar for Adapted Screenplay for BlacKkKlansman.

This is Spike Lee’s first Oscar award, which he won after being nominated for awards five times.

During the acceptance speech Lee called for the country to “make the moral choice between love versus hate. Let’s do the right thing.”

You can see his full speech below:

Lee was also nominated for Best Picture and Best Director for the film.


Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse – Animated Feature Film

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse won the Oscar for Animated Feature Film, an honor awarded to Peter Ramsey, Bob Persichetti, Rodney Rothman, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. Ramsey was the first African-American to be nominated for Animated Feature, and now he’s the first winner.

Into the Spider-Verse, which features an Afro-Latino Miles Morales, is the first non-Disney or Pixar film to win the award since 2011’s Rango. The film beat out other blockbusters like Incredibles 2 and Ralph Breaks the Internet. The movie also won awards across the Baftas, the Golden Globes and the Annies, according to The Guardian.

Read More: WATCH: Rami Malek Accepts 2019 Oscar Award for “Best Actor” With Emotional Speech (VIDEO)

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