From Hattie McDaniel to ‘Sinners’: 20+ History-Making Moments for Black Hollywood at the Oscars

As we gear up for the 98th Academy Awards, it’s worth reflecting on the history of Black artists in the film industry and their complicated relationship with Hollywood’s most prestigious awards ceremony.

READ: 7 Takeaways From Gina Prince-Bythewood’s MUST-READ THR Feature About The Oscars Lack of Recognition of Black Talent

Despite making significant strides over the years, the Oscars have long faced criticism for a lack of diversity among nominees and winners, particularly when it comes to recognizing the contributions of Black creatives. As filmmaker Gina Prince-Bythewood noted, the Academy and guilds are meant to represent the filmmaking community at large, yet historically they have not always reflected the full scope of voices shaping the industry.

READ: ‘Sinners’ Becomes the Most Nominated Film in Oscar History + Full List of Nominations

Still, Black filmmakers and performers have continued to produce groundbreaking work that has reshaped cinema and expanded the possibilities for representation on screen. Ahead of this year’s ceremony, we’re highlighting key Oscar milestones and historical moments that celebrate the achievements of Black artists while acknowledging the continued push for broader inclusion within the industry.

Sinners, directed by Ryan Coogler and starring Michael B. Jordan, made Oscar history as the film with the most nominations ever received by a single movie, earning 16 nominations and surpassing the previous record of 14 nominations held by All About Eve, Titanic, and La La Land.

Hattie McDaniel became the first Black person to win an Academy Award, taking home Best Supporting Actress at the 1940 Oscars for her performance in the 1939 film Gone With the Wind. Despite the historic achievement, McDaniel faced segregation at the ceremony and was forced to sit at a separate table away from her co-stars.

More than four decades later, Louis Gossett Jr. became the first Black actor to win Best Supporting Actor, earning the Oscar for his performance in An Officer and a Gentleman at the 1983 Academy Awards.

James Baskett became the first Black man to receive an Oscar, when he was awarded an Academy Honorary Award in 1948 for his portrayal of Uncle Remus in Song of the South.

John Singleton made history in 1992 when he became the first Black filmmaker nominated for Best Director for Boyz n the Hood. At 24 years old, Singleton was also the youngest person ever nominated in the category.

Since then, five other Black directors have been nominated for Best Director: Lee Daniels (Precious), Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave), Barry Jenkins (Moonlight), Jordan Peele (Get Out), and Spike Lee (BlacKkKlansman). Despite these milestones, no Black director has ever won Best Director, and no Black woman has ever been nominated in the category.

Only one Black actress has won Best Actress in a Leading Role: Halle Berry for Monster’s Ball in 2002.

It took nearly 70 years after the Oscars began for a Black woman to win the category, and in the nearly 100-year history of the Academy Awards a total 14 Black actresses have been nominated for Best Actress, though some have been nominated more than once.

Sidney Poitier became the first Black actor nominated for Best Actor for The Defiant Ones (1958) and later became the first to win the category for Lilies of the Field (1964).

To date, six Black performers have won Oscars in the lead acting categories.

• Sidney Poitier — Lilies of the Field
• Denzel Washington — Training Day
• Jamie Foxx — Ray
• Forest Whitaker — The Last King of Scotland
• Will Smith — King Richard
• Halle Berry — Monster’s Ball

Denzel Washington became the first Black actor to win two competitive acting Oscars, winning Best Supporting Actor for Glory (1990) and Best Actor for Training Day (2002).

As of 2026, Washington has received 10 Academy Award nominations, making him one of the most-nominated Black actors in Oscar history.

In 2017, Mahershala Ali became the first Muslim actor to win an Academy Award for Moonlight. He later won a second Oscar for Green Book, making him the only other Black actor, besides Denzel Washington with multiple acting wins.

Jordan Peele became the first Black writer to win Best Original Screenplay for Get Out (2018), while Geoffrey Fletcher became the first Black writer to win Best Adapted Screenplay for Precious (2010).

Suzanne de Passe became the first Black woman nominated for Best Original Screenplay for Lady Sings the Blues, and in 2018 Dee Rees became the first Black woman nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay for Mudbound.

Cheryl Boone Isaacs made history as the first Black president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Viola Davis has received four Academy Award nominations, making her one of the most-nominated Black actresses in Oscar history. She won Best Supporting Actress for Fences in 2017.

Remi Adefarasin became the first Black cinematographer nominated for Best Cinematography for Elizabeth (1998).

Although they did not win, Dorothy Dandridge became the first Black woman nominated for Best Actress for Carmen Jones (1954), while Rupert Crosse became the first Black actor nominated for Best Supporting Actor for The Reivers (1967).

Ruth E. Carter became the first Black person to win Best Costume Design for Black Panther (2019). She made history again in 2023 as the first Black woman to win two Oscars. As of 2026, Carter has received five Academy Award nominations.

In 2017, Moonlight became the first Best Picture winner with an all-Black cast.

Roger Ross Williams became the first Black director to win an Oscar for Best Documentary Short Subject for Music by Prudence (2009), while T. J. Martin became the first Black director to win Best Documentary Feature for Undefeated (2012).

In 2021, Mia Neal and Jamika Wilson became the first Black winners in the Makeup and Hairstyling category for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.

Willie D. Burton became the first Black winner in the Best Sound category for the 1988 film Bird. To date, Burton and Russell Williams II remain the only Black sound mixers to win Oscars in the category.

As of the 2026 Oscars cycle, 23 Oscars have been awarded to Black performers in the competitive acting categories, representing 20 individual winners across Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress. Only two actors — Denzel Washington and Mahershala Ali — have won more than once.

Notably, the majority of those wins have come in supporting categories, underscoring the long-standing disparity in recognition for Black performers in leading roles.