Ruth E. Carter Makes Oscars History with Her Latest Costume Design Nomination

Ruth E. Carter with her Oscar in 2023.
Credit: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

NEED TO KNOW

• Ruth E. Carter has made Oscars history
• The costume designer earned her fifth nomination on Thursday, Jan. 22, making her the most-nominated Black woman in the award ceremony’s nearly 100-year history
• Carter won her first Oscar for Black Panther in 2019 and won another in 2023 for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Ruth E. Carter has made history at the Oscars. On January 22, she received her fifth nomination, making her the most-nominated Black woman in the nearly century-long history of the prestigious awards.

This nomination is for costume design in Ryan Coogler’s film Sinners, which stars Michael B. Jordan, Wunmi Mosaku, and Hailee Steinfeld. The film stands out this year with an impressive total of 16 nominations—including Best Picture—marking a new record for the most nominations received by a single film.

Prior record-holders, including classics such as Titanic (1997), La La Land (2016), and All About Eve (1950), each garnered 14 nominations. Coogler’s achievements also place him among a select group of Black filmmakers; he is now the second to be nominated in the same year for producing, directing, and original screenplay, following the recognition received by Jordan Peele for Get Out, as reported by Variety.

Ruth E. Carter with her Oscar at the ‘Vanity Fair’ after party in 2023.
Credit: Jon Kopaloff/Getty

Carter’s journey at the Oscars began with her first win in 2019 for her designs in Black Panther, followed by another Academy Award for Wakanda Forever just a few years later. Additionally, she received nominations for costume design for Malcolm X in 1993 and Amistad in 1998. As it stands, she is the only Black woman to have won multiple Oscars.

In recent updates from Variety, it was noted that Carter was previously tied with Viola Davis for the title of most nominations. Now, she shares the third-most nominations for Black creatives overall with Spike Lee and Morgan Freeman, while Denzel Washington and Quincy Jones lead the way with seven and nine nominations, respectively. Since 1929, only 20 Oscars have been awarded to Black women.

Hailee Steinfeld in ‘Sinners’.
Credit: Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures

Upon receiving the news of her nomination, Carter expressed her joy on Instagram, stating, “I am so happy for all my fellow nominees, I’m so happy that I got one too. It’s so cool, I’m just beside myself.” She also expressed gratitude for the positive reception of the story behind Sinners.

The other nominees in the Best Achievement in Costume Design category include Deborah L. Scott for Avatar: Fire and Ash, Kate Hawley for Frankenstein, Malgosia Turzanska for Hamnet, and Miyako Belizzi for Marty Supreme.

Michael B. Jordan and Omar Benson Miller in ‘Sinners’.
Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

As Carter continues to build her legacy, she has recently ventured into writing, releasing her memoir titled The Art of Ruth E. Carter: Costuming Black History and the Afrofuture from Do the Right Thing to Black Panther. In discussing this project, she remarked, “I had so many stories that I feel were very unique to my movie experience. I didn’t want to forget the details because nothing was written down. And, what? I have 40 years in the business, so I was like, it’s time to write everything down. It’s time to share with the world.”

Reflecting on her first Oscar win, Carter recounted, “I was kind of shaking my head as I walked up onto the stage because I thought to myself, ‘I am the role model.’ I felt affirmed.” With her second Oscar, she felt an even deeper sense of validation, saying, “The second one, I said, ‘I’m affirmed. This is real.’ Not that I didn’t feel like I was real, it just felt even more important.”