Black Oscar Winners: A Historical Look at Black Excellence in the Academy Awards

The Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars, is the highest honour in the film industry globally. Over the years, several talented black Oscar winners (actors, directors, and creatives) have broken barriers and achieved this prestigious accolade.

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Since the inception of the Oscars in 1929, the journey of Black excellence at the Academy Awards has been marked by groundbreaking achievements, moments of triumph, and milestones of progress.

The list of Black Oscar winners continues to grow, showcasing the incredible talents and contributions of Black creatives in the film industry. From actors and directors to costume designers and producers, these individuals have reshaped Hollywood and left an indelible mark on cinematic history.

Here’s a look at the Black individuals who have won the Oscar since its inception, along with the categories, dates, and significance of their wins.

1. Hattie McDaniel – 12th Academy Awards (1940)

Category: Best Supporting Actress
Film: Gone with the Wind
Date: February 29, 1940
Hattie McDaniel became the first Black person to win an Oscar for her role as Mammy in Gone with the Wind. Her win broke the colour barrier in Hollywood and marked a milestone for Black performers in cinema.

2. Sidney Poitier – 36th Academy Awards (1963)

Category: Best Actor
Film: Lilies of the Field
Date: April 13, 1964
Sidney Poitier was the first Black man to win the Best Actor award for his role in Lilies of the Field, becoming a symbol of hope and progress in a racially divided America.

3. Louis Gossett Jr. – 55th Academy Awards (1982)

Category: Best Supporting Actor
Film: An Officer and a Gentleman
Date: April 11, 1982
Louis Gossett Jr.’s portrayal of Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley in An Officer and a Gentleman earned him the first-ever Best Supporting Actor Oscar for a black actor.

4. Whoopi Goldberg  –  63rd Academy Awards (1991)

Category: Best Supporting Actress
Film: Ghost
Date: March 25, 1991

For her role as an eccentric psychic in the romantic fantasy film Ghost, Whoopi Goldberg won the award for Best Supporting Actress. Thus she became the second black woman to win Best Supporting Actress.

5. Denzel Washington – 62nd Academy Awards (1989);  74th Academy Awards (2002)

Category: Best Actor
Film: Glory (Best Supporting Actor) (1989); Training Day (Best Actor) (2002)
Dates: March 26, 1990; March 24, 2002
Denzel Washington became the second Black man to win the Best Actor Oscar for his riveting performance as a corrupt detective in Training Day.

6. Cuba Gooding Jr. –  68th Academy Awards (1996)

Category: Best Supporting Actor
Film: Jerry McGuire (1996)
Dates: March 26, 1990; March 24, 2002

Cuba Mark Gooding Jr.  won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor playing a football star in Jerry Maguire (1996). Youngest African-American male actor to win an Academy Award (age 29).

7. Halle Berry – 74th Academy Awards (2002)

Category: Best Actress
Film: Monster’s Ball
Date: March 24, 2002
In a historic moment, Halle Berry became the first black woman to win the Best Actress award for her emotionally charged performance in Monster’s Ball. First time two black persons won Oscars in the same year (Denzel Washington, Training Day).

8. Morgan Freeman  –  77th Academy Awards (2005) 

Category: Best Supporting Actor 
Film: Million Dollar Baby
Date: February 27, 2005

Morgan Freeman received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as a former boxer in Clint Eastwood’s sports drama Million Dollar Baby (2004).

9. Jamie Foxx – 77th Academy Awards (2005)

Category: Best Actor
Film: Ray
Date: February 27, 2005
Jamie Foxx’s portrayal of Ray Charles in the biographical film Ray earned him the Best Actor award, a testament to his versatility and talent.

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10. Forest Whitaker – 79th Academy Awards (2007)

Category: Best Actor
Film: The Last King of Scotland
Date: February 25, 2007
Forest Whitaker’s intense performance as Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland garnered him the Best Actor Oscar, making him the fourth Black man to receive the honour.

11. Jennifer Hudson – 79th Academy Award (2007)

Category: Best Supporting Actress
Film: Dream Girls
Date: February 25, 2007Jennifer Hudson won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Effie White in the musical Dreamgirls. She became the youngest black recipient of the award.

12. Mo’Nique – 82nd Academy Awards (2010)

Category: Best Supporting Actress
Film: Precious
Date: March 7, 2010
Mo’Nique’s role as the abusive mother in Precious earned her the Best Supporting Actress Oscar, praised for her raw and unapologetic performance.

13. Octavia Spencer – 84th Academy Awards (2012)

Category: Best Supporting Actress
Film: The Help
Date: February 26, 2012
Octavia Spencer won the Oscar for her role as Minny Jackson in The Help, a significant win highlighting her humour and depth in portraying complex characters.

14. T.J. Martin – 84th Academy Awards (2012)

Category: Best Documentary Feature
Film: Undefeated
Date: February 26, 2012
T.J. Martin’s film Undefeated which he was co-director, co-editor, and co-cinematographer, won the 2012 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. This made Martin the first black film to win an Academy Award for a feature-length film. He shared the award with Daniel Lindsay and Rich Middlemas.

15. Lupita Nyong’o – 86th Academy Awards (2014)

Category: Best Supporting Actress
Film: 12 Years a Slave
Date: March 2, 2014
Lupita Nyong’o made history as the first Kenyan and Mexican actress to win an Oscar, recognized for her poignant role in 12 Years a Slave.

16. Steve McQueen – 86th Academy Awards (2014)

Category:  Director, Best Picture 
Film: 12 Years a Slave
Date: March 2, 2014
Steve McQueen became the first Black director to have a film win Best Picture with 12 Years a Slave.

17. Ezra Benjamin Edelman – 89th Academy Awards (2017)

Category: Best Documentary Feature
Film: O.J.: Made in America
Date: February 26, 2017
Ezra Benjamin Edelman is a documentary producer and director. He won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature for Outstanding Directing for Nonfiction Programming for directing O.J.: Made in America.

18. Viola Davis – 89th Academy Award (2017)

Category: Best Supporting Actress
Film: Fences
Date: February 26, 2017
Viola Davis won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for reprising her role in the 2016 film adaptation of Fences.

19. Mahershala Ali – 89th Academy Awards (2017) & 91st Academy Awards (2019)

Category: Best Supporting Actor
Films: Moonlight (2017), Green Book (2019)
Dates: February 26, 2017 (Moonlight), February 24, 2019 (Green Book)
Mahershala Ali became the first Muslim actor to win an Academy Award, securing two Oscars for his roles in Moonlight and Green Book.

20. Regina King – 91st Academy Awards (2019)

Category: Best Supporting Actress
Film: If Beale Street Could Talk
Date: February 24, 2019
Regina King’s portrayal of a devoted mother in If Beale Street Could Talk earned her a much-deserved Oscar, celebrating her long-standing career in film and television.

21. Peter Ramsey – 91st Academy Awards (2019)

Category: Best Animated Feature
Film: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Date: February 24, 2019
For his animation works in the animated film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, he became the first black person to be nominated for and win an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. He shared the award with Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, Bob Persichetti & Rodney Rothman.

22. Daniel Kaluuya – 93rd Academy Awards (2021)

Category: Best Supporting Actor
Film: Judas and the Black Messiah
Date: April 25, 2021
Daniel Kaluuya’s portrayal of Fred Hampton in Judas and the Black Messiah earned him the Best Supporting Actor award, marking a significant moment for political and cultural representation in cinema. He became the First Black British actor to win an acting Oscar.

23. Will Smith – 94th Academy Awards (2022)

Category: Best Actor
Film: King Richard
Date: March 27, 2022
Will Smith won the Best Actor Oscar for his powerful performance as Richard Williams, the father of tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams, in King Richard.

24. Ruth E. Carter – 91st Academy Awards (2019) & 95th Academy Awards (2023)

Category: Best Costume Design
Films: Black Panther (2019), Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2023)
Dates: February 24, 2019 (Black Panther), March 12, 2023 (Wakanda Forever)
Ruth E. Carter made history as the first Black woman to win an Oscar for costume design, and her win for Black Panther further solidified her as a creative force in Hollywood.

25. Ariana DeBose  – 94th Academy Awards (2022)

Category: Best Supporting Actress
Film: Toy Story
Date: March 27, 2022
Ariana DeBose, for her role as Anita in Steven Spielberg’s musical film West Side Story, won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

26. Samuel L. Jackson – Honorary Award (94th Academy Awards – 2022)

Category: Honorary Award
Date: March 27, 2022
Samuel L. Jackson was honoured with an Academy Honorary Award for his exceptional contributions to the film industry, cementing his status as one of the most iconic actors of his generation.

27. Da’Vine Joy Randolph – 96th Academy Awards (2023)

Category: Best Supporting Actress
Film: The Holdovers
Date: March 10, 2024
Da’Vine Joy Randolph received critical acclaim for her performance in The Holdovers (2023), which earned her several awards, including the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Notable Mentions:

• Isaac Haye –  (Best Music, Original Song, “Theme from Shaft”,1972)
• Prince – (Best Music, Original Score, “Purple Rain”, 1984)
• Herbie Hancock – (Best Music, Original Score, “Round Midnight”, 1986)
• Roger Ross Williams – (Best Documentary Feature Film, “Prudence”, 2009).
• Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson – (Best Documentary Feature Film, “Summer of Soul”, 2022).
• Kris Bowers – (Best Documentary Feature Film, “The Last Repair Shop”, 2023).
• Mia Neal Jamika Wilson – (Best Makeup and Hairstyling, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”, 2020).
• Jon Batiste – (Best Music, Original Score, “Soul”, 2020).
• Irene Cara – (Best Music, Original Song, “Flashdance… What a Feeling”, 1983).
• Stevie Wonder – (Best Music, Original Song, “I Just Called to Say I Love You”, 1984).
• Lionel Richie – (Best Music, Original Song, White Night, “Say You, Say Me”, 1984).
• Frayser Boy, Juicy J, DJ Paul Hustle – (Best Music, Original Song, “Flow”,  “It’s Hard out Here for a Pimp”, 2005).
• Common, John Legend – (Best Music, Original Song, Selma, “Glory”, 2014)
• H.E.R., D’Mile, Tiara Thomas – ( “ Judas and the Black Messiah,  “Fight for You”, 2020).
• Steve McQueen – (Best Picture, “12 Years a Slave”, 2013)
• Barry Jenkins  – (Best Picture,  “Moonlight”, 2016).
• Hannah Beachler – (Best Production Design, “Black Panther”, 2018)
• Kobe Bryant – (Best Short Film (Animated); “Dear Basketball”, 2017).

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