‘Black Panther’ Designer Becomes First Black Woman To Win Costume Design Oscar

Ruth Carter of “Black Panther” took home the Academy Award for best costume design. The accolade makes Carter, already a well-established figure in the business, the first black woman to win an Oscar in that category.

Carter beat out Alexandra Byrne of “Mary Queen of Scots,” and Mary Zophres of “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs.” She also won over Sandy Powell, a three-time Oscar winner who was nominated for both “Mary Poppins Returns” and “The Favourite” this year.

The actress thanked her mentor Spike Lee during her acceptance speech and spoke on how costume elevated the Black Panther superhero.

“Marvel may have created the first black superhero, but through costume design, we turned him into an African king,” she said.