2019 Oscars Make History with 7 Black Winners

Seven black men and women took home Academy Awards this year. This is the most since the five black winners in 2017. This year’s awards also set a record for the most female winners with a total of 15. The Academy had previously been called out for their lack of diversity with #OscarSoWhite. Here’s who made history.

Regina King – Regina King won her first-ever Oscar award for Best Supporting Actress thanks to her role in If Beale Street Could Talk.

Ruth E. Carter – Carter wins Oscar for Best Costume design on the film Black Panther.

Hannah Beachler – Taking home the award for Best Production Design, Beachler is the first African American to be nominated for Best Production Design and the first African American to win for Best Production Design.

Mahershala Ali – This is the second time two African-American performers won supporting role Oscars in the same year. Ali holds record for most wins. He is also the second African-American actor to win multiple competitive Academy Awards.

Peter Ramsey – Shared with Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, Bob Persichetti & Rodney Rothman, Ramsey wins for Best Animated Feature with Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse. He is the first African American to be nominated for Animated Feature and the first African American to win for Animated Feature.

Spike Lee and Kevin Willmott – Winning the award for Best Adapted Screenplay for BlacKkKlansman, Spike Lee was also nominated for Best Picture and Best Director for the same film.