Oscars 2019: A Stellar Year for People of Colour

(Just don’t mention Green Book.)

The 91st Oscars were a tricky one to predict, as crowdpleasers Bohemian Rhapsody and Green Book monopolised much of the awards buzz in the weeks leading up to the ceremony, though many thought that The Favourite could walk away with many of the technical awards.

But it was Black Panther that became the surprise winner of the night. After the Academy’s ill-fated idea to introduce a Best Popular Film category seemed like a way of cheapening the impact of a win for the superhero movie, the category was scrapped – but Black Panther still managed to prove itself in the technical categories, scooping up awards for Best Costume Design, Best Production Design and Best Score.

Black Panther is the first superhero film to win Best Costume Design, with legendary costumer Ruth E. Carter (Malcolm X, Amistad, Selma) finally being recognised for her incredible work.
Hannah Belcher became the first Black woman to be nominated for and win Best Production Design for Black Panther. Belcher and Carter became only the second and third black women ever to win a non-acting Oscar, and the first to win in more than 30 years. Irene Cara, won in 1984 for writing the “Flashdance” song.

Indeed, it was a groundbreaking year for Black women, as Regina King also won Best Supporting Actress. The three wins represented the first time – ever - that more than one Black woman has won an Oscar in the same year.

And in other moments of Black excellence, Blackkklansman writer and director Spike Lee finally won a competitive Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay, to join his Honorary Oscar that he won in 2015.

Mahershala Ali won his second Oscar for his role in Green Book, becoming the second Black actor to have won two Oscars for acting, alongside Denzel Washington. Regina King, Mahershala Ali and Rami Malek’s acting awards all mean that 2019 Oscars are the first year that the majority of acting awards have gone to people of colour.

Other winners of colour include Domee Shi for Best Animated Short, while Alfonso Cuaron’s Best Director win marks the fifth time in six years a Mexican director has won the award. Cuaron won in 2014 for Gravity, Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu winning in 2015 and 2016 for Birdman and The Revenant respectively, and Guillermo del Toro won last year for The Shape of Water.

The hideous White Saviour flick Green Book still won Best Picture though, which is just horribly offensive. Guess we still have a ways to go, huh Academy members?