The 91st Academy Awards was a night to remember, especially for the cast and crew of “Black Panther.” The movie made history becoming Marvel Studios’ first film to ever win an Oscar.
Ruth Carter kicked off the first “Black Panther” win of the evening with her Oscar for Best Costume Design. The 58-year-old, who was previously nominated for 1992’s “Malcolm X,” and 1997’s “Amistad,” became the first black woman to ever win in the category.
“Wow, I got it!” Carter declared when she took to the stage. “This has been a long time coming. Spike Lee, thank you for my start. I hope this makes you proud.”
Carter continued, “Marvel may have created the first black superhero, but through costume design, we turned him into an African king. It’s been my life’s honor to create costumes. Thank you to the Academy, and thank you for honoring African royalty and the empowered way women can look and lead on screen.”
Hannah Beachler and Jay Heart continued the film’s winning streak later that evening when the duo took home the award for Best Production Design and Set Decoration. Beachler, a first-time Oscar nominee, became the first African-American woman to win the award.
“I stand here stronger than I was yesterday. I stand here with agency and self-worth because of [director] Ryan Coogler who not only made me a better designer, a better storyteller, a better person, I stand here because of this man who offered me a different perspective of life,” Beachler said in her emotional acceptance speech.
Beachler ended her address saying, “I give the strength to all of those who come next to keep going, to never give up. And when you think it’s impossible just remember to say this piece of advice I got from a very wise woman: ‘I did my best, and my best is good enough.’”
Black Panther was already a glass-shattering film before the award show ceremony took place on Sunday (Feb. 24) night. In January, the blockbuster movie, which grossed over one billion dollars worldwide, became the first superhero film to be nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars.
In addition to Best Picture, “Black Panther” was also nominated for Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, Original Song (“All the Stars”) and Original Score (Ludwig Goransson). The film also won the latter category bringing its total Oscar wins of the night up to three.
Watch Carter and Beachler’s speeches in full ahead.