Legendary costume designer Ruth E. Carter has officially made Academy Awards history, becoming the most-nominated Black woman ever.
Her latest recognition comes alongside the success of Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, which earned a record-breaking 16 Oscar nominations, further cementing Carter’s place among Hollywood’s most influential creatives.
With five Oscar nominations, Carter now surpasses Viola Davis and joins the ranks of industry icons such as Morgan Freeman and Spike Lee, trailing only Quincy Jones and Denzel Washington in overall nominations among Black creatives.
Carter’s Oscar journey began in 1992 with Spike Lee’s Malcolm X, a project that marked her first Academy Award nomination for Best Costume Design and made her the first Black woman ever recognised in the category.
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Her deeply researched work on the biopic set a new standard for historical storytelling through costume.
She earned her second nomination for Steven Spielberg’s Amistad in 1997, where she intentionally portrayed enslaved Africans with dignity and humanity, challenging long-standing visual stereotypes.
Despite the recognition, Carter later described the nomination as isolating, as the film itself received limited awards attention.
Her breakthrough Oscar win came in 2019 for Black Panther, a cultural landmark that also became the first superhero film nominated for Best Picture.
Drawing inspiration from African tribes, Afrofuturism and classic Marvel comics, Carter made history as the first Black woman to win the Oscar for Best Costume Design.
She repeated that achievement in 2023 with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, earning her second Academy Award. For the film, Carter expanded her research beyond Africa to include Mesoamerican cultures, while also using costume as a tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman, particularly through symbolic funeral attire rooted in African traditions.
Carter’s fifth nomination arrives with Sinners (2025), a period horror film set in 1930s Mississippi. Staying true to Coogler’s vision, she crafted costumes that were both historically grounded and narratively intentional, helping the film secure its unprecedented number of nominations.
Through decades of work, Ruth E. Carter has consistently reshaped how Black history, culture and imagination are represented on screen.
With each nomination and win, she continues to open doors for future generations, solidifying her legacy as a trailblazer in film and fashion.
