Ruth E. Carter is getting her flowers in a major way.
The iconic costume designer just earned her fifth Oscar nomination for her work on Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners,” officially becoming the most-nominated Black woman in Academy Awards history across all categories. It’s the kind of moment that feels both long overdue and right on time, especially as Hollywood continues to wrestle with what it truly means to recognize Black talent at the highest level.
Before this year, Carter and Viola Davis were tied with four nominations each. Now, Carter’s fifth nomination lifts her into rare company. She joins Spike Lee and Morgan Freeman as the third most-nominated Black creatives in Academy Awards history, trailing only Denzel Washington with nine nominations and Quincy Jones with seven.
This win is not only a win for her. It’s a reminder of how deeply Ruth E. Carter’s work has shaped the way we see Black stories on screen.
Carter’s Oscar nominations span decades, anchored in titles that have become cultural touchstones. Her nominated films include “Malcolm X” (1992), “Amistad” (1997), “Black Panther” (2018), “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” (2022), and now “Sinners.” Her costume design credits also include unforgettable projects like “Roots,” “Coming to America,” “Selma,” “Crooklyn,” “School Daze,” “BAPS,” and more. Her portfolio is evidence that costume designers don’t just dress characters; they build worlds.
Her legacy has already been written. In 2019, Carter became the first Black person to win an Oscar for costume design thanks to “Black Panther.” She made history again in 2022 with a second win for “Wakanda Forever,” becoming the first—and still only—Black woman to win multiple Oscars in the category. Now, with “Sinners,” she’s extending that record once more.
For the 2026 Costume Design Award, Carter is nominated alongside Deborah L. Scott (“Avatar: Fire and Ash”), Kate Hawley (“Frankenstein”), Malgosia Turzanska (“Hamnet”), and Miyako Bellizzi (“Marty Supreme”).
Her moment arrives as “Sinners” celebrates a night of its own. The film earned a record-breaking 16 nominations, including acting nods for Michael B. Jordan, Delroy Lindo, and Wunmi Mosaku, plus recognition for cinematography, Best Picture, and more.
The historic showing also marks new milestones for Ryan Coogler, who becomes the second Black filmmaker—after Jordan Peele for “Get Out” in 2017—to earn nominations in the same year for producing, directing, and original screenplay. Coogler is also now the seventh Black director to be nominated for Best Director.
And the wins keep coming. Producer Zinzi Coogler made history as the first Filipina producer and the third Black woman nominated for Best Picture. Together, Ryan and Zinzi Coogler are the first Black couple to be nominated together in the Best Picture category.
But beneath all the celebration is a statistic that keeps the reality check loud and clear. Since the Oscars began in 1929, more than 3,100 statuettes have been awarded. Variety reports that only 20 have gone to Black women, which is about 0.6 percent of all Oscars ever awarded.
This is exactly why Ruth E. Carter’s name belongs in the conversation.
The Oscars air live on March 15, 2026, at 7 p.m. ET on ABC and Hulu. And if “Sinners” is having the kind of historic night the nominations suggest, Carter’s artistry will be part of the story no matter what.
