Marvel Studios has finally broken its losing streak at the Oscars.Black Pantherwas nominated for seven awards at the 91st annual Academy Awards and, in a surprising start to this year’s ceremony, Marvel’s record-breaking blockbuster took home two awards in the Best Costume Design and Best Production Design categories to start off the ceremony. It would also go onto win Best Original Music Score for Ludwig Goransson, winning three of the six Oscars it was vying for throughout the night. This further cements director Ryan Coogler’s comic book adaptation as one for the ages.
Black Pantherwas also up for Best PictureOscarin addition to Best Sound Mixing and Best Sound Editing. But it did not secure wins in those categories, losing out for Best Picture toThe Green Book, which was perhaps the most controversial win of the night, as many felt that film was undeserving of top honors for a variety of reasons.
First up was the award for Best Costume Design.The Favourite, which was also nominated for Best Picture, was largely seen as the favorite (no pun intended) to take home this trophy. Melissa McCarthy and Brian Tyree Henry presented the award, who themselves made an impression with their costume choices. Ruth Carter, who instead won forBlack Panther, had this to say in her acceptance speech.
“Marvel may have created the first black superhero, but through costume design we turned him into an African king. It’s been my life’s honor to create costumes. Thank you to the Academy. Thank you for honoring African royalty and the empowered way women can look and lead on screen. Adding vibrainaum to costumes is very expensive!”
Ruth Carter was understandably and visibly emotional in herAcademy Awardsspeech. She became the first-ever black woman to win in the Best Costume Design category.Black Pantherprevailed over other nominees, includingThe Ballad of Buster Scruggs,Mary Poppins ReturnsandMary Queen of Scots. Shortly after this award was handed out, the Best Production Design award was announced. Again, it wasBlack Pantherprevailing. Over heavy competition, includingThe Favourite,First Man,Mary Poppins ReturnsandRoma.
Designer Hannah Beachler and set decorator Jay Hartaccepted the awardon behalf of the movie. Beachler also made history, becoming the first black artist to ever win the Production Design award in the category’s 90 years, after becoming the first black artist to be nominated in the category. Period. So, not only is this proving to be a long-awaited, big night for Kevin Feige and the rest of the folks at Marvel Studios, but it’s a big night in general for the Academy.
The third Oscar going to toBlack Pantherwas for Best Original Music Score, which went to Ludwig Goransson. He also gave a stirring speech about working with director Ryan Coogler together in college on their first student film, and now 17 years later, they had collaborated on such an important piece of not only Marvel, but film history in general.
Black Pantherbecame the first comic book movie to ever earn a Best Picture nomination, after its record-breaking $1.3 billion run at the box office. Marvel had previously scored Best Visual Effects nominations for all threeIron Manmovies,Guardians of the Galaxyand its sequel Vol. 2,Doctor Strange,Captain America: The Winter SoldierandThe Avengers. Yet, they went home empty handed. In addition to the other categories thatBlack Pantherwas up for tonight,Avengers: Infinity Warwas also nominated in the Best Visual Effects category. It lost out toFirst Man. The awards were later announced atthe official Oscars website.
