List of black Academy Award winners and nominees

This list of Black Academy Award winners and nominees is updated as of the 98th Academy Awards, which was held on March 15, 2026.

Best Actor in a Leading Role Best Actor in a Leading RoleYearNameCountryFilmRoleStatusMilestone / Notes 1958Sidney Poitier The Defiant Ones Noah Cullen First Black actor to be nominated for Best Actor. 1963 Lilies of the Field Homer Smith First Black man to win a competitive Oscar. First Bahamian to win Best Actor. First Black actor to receive two acting nominations (Best Actor).Youngest Black actor to win Best Actor (age 37). 1970 James Earl Jones The Great White Hope Jack Jefferson 1972 Paul Winfield Sounder Nathan Lee Morgan First film to feature African-American nominees for both Best Actor and Best Actress. 1986 Dexter Gordon Round Midnight Dale Turner First jazz musician to be nominated for Best Actor. 1989 Morgan Freeman Driving Miss Daisy Hoke Colburn 1992 Denzel Washington Malcolm X Malcolm X 1993 Laurence Fishburne What's Love Got to Do with It Ike Turner Second film to feature African-American nominees for both Best Actor and Best Actress. 1994 Morgan Freeman The Shawshank Redemption Ellis Boyd 'Red' Redding 1999Denzel Washington The Hurricane Rubin Carter 2001 Training Day Alonzo Harris Second African-American actor to receive the award for Best Actor.First time two African-American performers won Oscars in the same year (Halle Berry, Monster's Ball).First African-American actor to win multiple competitive Academy Awards.First and only African-American actor to win Academy Awards in both acting categories (lead and supporting). Will Smith Ali Muhammad Ali First time multiple African-American actors nominated for Best Actor in the same year.2004 Jamie Foxx Ray Ray Charles First African-American to receive two acting nominations in the same year. Don Cheadle Hotel Rwanda Paul Rusesabagina 2005 Terrence Howard Hustle & Flow DJay 2006 Forest Whitaker The Last King of Scotland Idi Amin Will Smith The Pursuit of Happyness Chris Gardner 2009 Morgan Freeman Invictus Nelson Mandela 2012 Denzel Washington Flight William "Whip" Whitaker 2013 Chiwetel Ejiofor 12 Years a Slave Solomon Northup First Black British actor to be nominated for Best Actor. 2016 Denzel Washington Fences Troy Maxson First Black actor to direct himself to an Oscar nomination (for acting only).First Black actor to be nominated for both acting and producing (Best Picture) in the same year.2017Roman J. Israel, Esq. Roman J. Israel First Black actor to be nominated two years in a row (nominated the same years as first Black actress). Daniel Kaluuya Get Out Chris Washington Second Black British actor to be nominated for Best Actor.2020 Chadwick Boseman Ma Rainey's Black Bottom Levee Green First African-American actor to receive a posthumous nomination.Third film to feature African-American nominees for both Best Actor and Best Actress.2021 Will Smith King Richard Richard Williams Second Black actor, and ninth overall, to be nominated for both acting and producing (Best Picture) in the same year. Denzel Washington The Tragedy of Macbeth Lord Macbeth Denzel Washington has the most nominations for an African-American actor: Best Actor (7 nominations) and Best Supporting Actor (2 nominations).First African-American actor to receive a nomination for their performance in a Shakespeare adaptation.2023 Jeffrey Wright American Fiction Thelonious "Monk" Ellison First film to feature African-American nominees for both Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor. Colman Domingo Rustin Bayard Rustin First gay Black and Afro-Latino actor to be nominated for Best Actor.2024Sing SingJohn "Divine G" Whitfield Second African-American actor to be nominated two years in a row.2025 Michael B. Jordan Sinners Elijah "Smoke" Moore / Elias "Stack" Moore First black actor to be nominated for playing two characters in the same film.Second film to feature Black nominees for both Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor.

Best Actress in a Leading Role Best Actress in a Leading RoleYearNameCountryFilmRoleStatusMilestone / Notes1954 Dorothy Dandridge Carmen Jones Carmen Jones First African-American actress to be nominated for Best Actress.1972 Diana Ross Lady Sings the Blues Billie Holiday First African-American actress to receive an Academy Award nomination for a debut film performance.First time multiple African-American actresses received Best Actress nominations. Cicely Tyson Sounder Rebecca Morgan First film to feature African-American nominees for both Best Actor and Best Actress.First time multiple African-American actresses received Best Actress nominations.1974 Diahann Carroll Claudine Claudine 1985 Whoopi Goldberg The Color Purple Celie Johnson Debut film performance. First time multiple African-American actresses received nominations for the same film for both Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress.1993 Angela Bassett What's Love Got to Do with It Tina Turner Second film to feature African-American nominees for both Best Actor and Best Actress.2001 Halle Berry Monster's Ball Leticia Musgrove First African-American actress to win Best Actress. First person of color to win Best Actress. First time two African-American performers won Oscars in the same year (Denzel Washington, Training Day).2009 Gabourey Sidibe Precious Claireece "Precious" Jones Debut film performance. Second film to feature African-American nominees for both Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress. 2011 Viola Davis The Help Aibileen Clark Second African-American actress to receive acting nominations in the lead and supporting categories after Whoopi Goldberg.Third film to feature African-American nominees for both Best Actress and Supporting Actress categories.2012 Quvenzhané Wallis Beasts of the Southern Wild Hushpuppy Debut film performance. At age 9, youngest ever Best Actress nominee. First person born in the 21st century to receive an Academy Award nomination.2016 Ruth Negga Loving Mildred Loving First Black Irish actress to be nominated. First Black African (Ethiopia) actress to be nominated for Lead Actress.2019 Cynthia Erivo Harriet Harriet Tubman First Black British actress to be nominated. Second Black woman to receive multiple Oscar nominations in the same year. Third person nominated for an acting award and a music award (Best Original Song) in the same year. First Nigerian to receive an Academy Award nomination.2020 Viola Davis Ma Rainey's Black Bottom Ma Rainey Most nominated African-American actress, with four nominations. First Black actress to receive two nominations for Best Actress. Third film to feature African-American nominees for both Best Actor and Best Actress.Second time multiple African-American actresses received Best Actress nominations. Andra Day The United States vs. Billie Holiday Billie Holiday Second time multiple African-American actresses received Best Actress nominations. First time that an African-American role has been nominated for a second performer playing it in a different film. 2024Cynthia ErivoWickedElphaba Thropp First Black British actress to receive two nominations for Best Actress, and the second Black actress to receive two nominations for Best Actress. Fifth Black actress to receive two acting nominations.

Best Actor in a Supporting Role Best Actor in a Supporting RoleYearNameCountryFilmRoleStatusMilestone / Notes1969 Rupert Crosse The Reivers Ned First African-American actor to be nominated for Best Supporting Actor.1981 Howard Rollins Ragtime Coalhouse Walker Jr. Debut film performance. 1982 Louis Gossett Jr. An Officer and a Gentleman Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley First African-American actor to win Best Supporting Actor.1984 Adolph Caesar A Soldier's Story Sgt. Waters 1987 Morgan Freeman Street Smart Fast Black First time multiple African-American actors received Best Supporting Actor nominations.Denzel Washington Cry Freedom Steve Biko 1989 Glory Pvt. Trip First African-American actor to receive two Best Supporting Actor nominations.1992 Jaye Davidson The Crying Game Dil Debut film performance.Youngest Black actor to receive an Academy Award nomination (age 24)First Black British actor to receive an Academy Award nomination.First out Black actor to receive an Academy Award nomination.1994 Samuel L. Jackson Pulp Fiction Jules Winnfield 1996 Cuba Gooding Jr. Jerry Maguire Rod Tidwell Youngest African-American male actor to win an Academy Award (age 29).1999 Michael Clarke Duncan The Green Mile John Coffey 2003 Djimon Hounsou In America Mateo First Black actor born in Africa (specifically in Benin) to receive an Academy Award nomination.2004 Morgan Freeman Million Dollar Baby Eddie 'Scrap-Iron' Dupris Oldest African-American actor to win an Academy Award (age 67). Jamie Foxx Collateral Max First African-American to receive two acting nominations in the same year.2006 Djimon Hounsou Blood Diamond Solomon Vandy Eddie Murphy Dreamgirls James 'Thunder' Early First film to feature African-American nominees for both Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress.2013 Barkhad Abdi Captain Phillips Abduwali Muse Debut film performance.Second Black actor born in Africa (specifically in Somalia) to receive an Academy Award nomination.2016Mahershala Ali Moonlight Juan Second film to feature Black nominees for both Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress. First Muslim actor to win an Oscar.First time two African-American performers won in supporting role Oscars in the same year (Viola Davis, Fences).2018 Green Book Don Shirley Second time two African-American performers won supporting role Oscars in the same year (Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk).First African-American actor to win two Oscars in the same category.Second African-American actor to win multiple competitive Academy Awards.2020 Daniel Kaluuya Judas and the Black Messiah Fred Hampton First Black British actor to win an acting Oscar.First Black British actor to receive multiple Academy Award nominations. First film to have multiple black actors nominated in the same category for the same film. Lakeith Stanfield William O'Neal First film to have multiple black actors nominated in the same category for the same film. Leslie Odom Jr. One Night in Miami... Sam Cooke First man to receive Academy Award nominations in the same year for acting and songwriting.Fourth person overall, third Black person, and first Black man nominated for an Academy Award for acting and songwriting in the same year.2022 Brian Tyree Henry Causeway James Aucoin 2023 Sterling K. Brown American Fiction Clifford "Cliff" Ellison First film to feature African-American nominees for both Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor. 2025 Delroy Lindo Sinners Delta Slim Naturalized American citizenOldest Black acting nominee.Second film to feature Black nominees for both Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor.Third film to feature Black nominees for both Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress.

Best Actress in a Supporting Role