Ruth E. Carter Makes History, Rihanna Performs, and Other Black Excellence Moments at the 95th Academy Awards
The 95th Academy Awards took place live Sunday night (March 12) and saw Everything Everywhere All at Once and All Quiet on the Western Front go home as the night's top winners concluding yet another melanated deficient ceremony.
Still a beam of Black excellence shined throughout the night as legendary customer designer Ruth E. Carter made history as the first Black woman to win two Oscars, following a trailblazing career that spanned over four decades. Meanwhile, two acting heavy hitters reminded their Auntie that she was loved regardless of accolades, and a Bajan entertainment mogul returned to the live stage, delivering an exceptional performance fit for royalty.
Music and actor Lenny Kravitz led the Oscars "In Memoriam" Tribute with a performance of "Calling All Angels," and actress Halle Bailey debuted the long-awaited official trailer for Disney's A Little Mermaid alongside co-star Melissa McCarthy.
While movie fans continue to grapple with Gina Prince-Bythewood’s Women King not receiving a single nomination, check out a handful of heartwarming Black excellence moments that occurred at this year’s show that could help ease the pain.
Jimmy Kimmel live at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles hosted the biggest night in the film industry.
Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Majors send love to “Auntie” Anglea Bassett
Creed III stars Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Majors took a moment to praise nominee Angela Bassett with a simple message: “Hey, Auntie. We love you.” The heartwarming moment came following the legendary actress’s “Best Supporting Actress” loss at this year’s ceremony.
The dashing duo presented an informative segment that evening about directing before presenting the award for “Best Cinematography,” which went to James Friend for the epic anti-war film All Quiet of the Western Front.
Ruth E. Carter makes history
Legendary customer designer Ruth E. Carter made history during this year’s ceremony after accepting her second Academy Award win for costume design for her work on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The trailblazing creative now becomes the first Black woman to win two Oscars.
In 2019, Carter became the first Black person to win the award for costume design for her work on Marvel’s Black Panther. During her acceptance speech, the designer thanked director Ryan Coogler and asked late Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman “please take care of mom,” before dedicating the prestigious Academy Award of Merit to her late mother, who passed away last week at the age of 101.
Check out her speech below:
“Nice to see you again,” Carter began. “Thank you to the Academy for recognizing the superhero that is a Black woman. She endures, she loves, she overcomes, she is every woman in this film. She is my mother. This past week, Mable Carter became an ancestor. This film prepared me for this moment. Chadwick, please take care of Mom. Ryan Coogler, Nate Moore, thank you both for your vision. Together, we are reshaping how culture is represented. The Marvel family, Kevin Feige, Victoria Alonso, Louis D’Esposito, and their arsenal of genius, thank you. I share this with many dedicated artists whose hands and hearts helped manifest the costumes of Wakanda and Talokan. This is for my mother. She was 101.”
Carter beat out many talented artists, including Catherine Martin for her work on Elvis, Mary Zophres for Babylon, Jenny Beaven for Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris, and Shirley Kurata for Everything Everywhere All at Once.
Rihanna performs ‘Lift Me Up’
Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Rihanna delivered a powerful performance of her latest single, “Lift Me Up,” from the soundtrack to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever nearly brining some of Hollywood biggest and brightest to tears.
Boyfriend and new dad A$AP Rocky looked on proudly as he raised his glass to the dazzling performance. The track was co-created by Rihanna, Tems, the film’s director Ryan Coogler, and composer Ludwig Göransson, earning the 35-year-old her first Oscar nomination for “Best Original Song.”
Before taking the stage, the Bajan star arrived at the Dolby Theatre sporting a gray Eagles T-shirt, black Vans, an olive green bucket hat, a matching tote bag and sunglasses, and giant gold hoop earrings with a matching chain bracelet.
The singer, who looked phenomenal against the afro-inspired backdrop featuring several violinists, wore a black bra embellished with a curtain of crystals covering her growing baby bump. She also wore black pants covered in a golden floral design. She accessorized her ensemble with black pumps, black leather opera gloves, layered diamond necklaces, and a bracelet.
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