Two of Three Black Women to Receive Non-Acting or Music Oscars Won Tonight

Only three Black women have won Oscars for work outside of acting—and tonight, two of them took home those awards: Hannah Beachler and Ruth E. Carter.

Black Panther made history at the 91st Academy Awards, with Carter winning for Best Costume Design and Beachler for Best Production Design, making them the second and third Black women to win an Academy Award in a non-acting category.

Carter, the artistic master behind the film’s Afro-futurist looks, is also the first Black costume designer to take home Best Achievement in Costume Design award. She was nominated twice in the category for her costume work in 1992's Malcolm X and 1997's Amistad.

Additionally, Beachler is the first Black person to be nominated and win in the Best Production Design category. The 48-year-old designer also created the set for the Academy Award-winning film Moonlight and worked on Beyoncé's Lemonade.

Singer and actress Irene Cara was the first Black woman to win a non-acting Oscar in 1983 for her song What A Feeling. Both Beachler and Carter are credited for curating the look and feel of one of Marvel's highest-grossing films.