Nine black actresses and one preteen have been nominated for Best Actress in the history of the Academy Awards. Here is a list of their roles and movies (Oscar winner in bold):
Dorothy Dandridge, who was nominated for Best Actress of 1954.
Dorothy Dandridge for Carmen Jones (1954).
It was Dorothy Dandridge, who was nominated as Best Actress of 1954 for her performance as the title character in "Carmen Jones."
Psycho (1960) did not win any Oscars; however, it was nominated for several:Best Actress in a Supporting Role - Janet LeighBest Art Direction-Set Decoration, Black-and-White - Joseph Hurley, Robert Clatworthy and George MiloBest Cinematography, Black-and-White - John L. RussellBest Director - Alfred Hitchcock
Dorothy Dandridge was nominated for Best Actress of 1954 for her performance in the musical "Carmen Jones." Interestingly, she was portrayed by actress Halle Berry in the 1999 made-for-television movie "Introducing Dorothy Dandridge". Berry went on to become the first African American to win the Best Actress Oscar for her performance in "Monster's Ball" (2001).
Dorothy Dandridge, who was nominated for Best Actress of 1954.
Dorothy Dandridge, who was nominated for Best Actress of 1954.
Dorothy Dandridge.
Dorothy Dandridge for Carmen Jones (1954).
It was Dorothy Dandridge, who was nominated as Best Actress of 1954 for her performance as the title character in "Carmen Jones."
1940 - Hattie McDaniel was the first African-American win an Oscar. She was nominated for Best Supporting Actress, and she won for her role as Mammy in Gone with the Wind (1939).
Cicley Tyson.
Two decades after Dorothy Dandridge won an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress in "Carmen Jones" (1954), both Diana Ross and Cicely Tyson were finalists for the 1972 Best Actress Oscar. Ross was nominated for her portrayal of the great jazz singer Billie Holliday in "Lady Sings the Blues." Tyson received a nod for her performance as Rebecca Morgan, a black sharecropper's wife in "Sounder."
John Singleton was the first black director nominated for an Oscar for Best Director. He was nominated for the movie Boyz n the Hood in 1991. He was also the youngest director ever nominated, at age 23.
Irene Cara is the first black woman to win an Oscar since 1940. She won the Oscar for Best Original Song for "Flashdance (What A Feeling)" from Flashdance (1983). She shares the award with composer Giorgio Moroder and co-lyricist Keith Forsey. She is also the first (and only) black woman to win an Oscar outside of the acting categories.Whoopi Goldberg was the first black woman to win an Oscar since 1940 for acting. She won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for Ghost (1990). She is also the first black actress to receive two acting nominations, having previously been nominated for Best Actress for The Color Purple (1985)
Two decades after Dorothy Dandridge won an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress in "Carmen Jones" (1954), both Diana Ross and Cicely Tyson were finalists for the 1972 Best Actress Oscar. Ross was nominated for her portrayal of the great jazz singer Billie Holliday in "Lady Sings the Blues." Tyson received a nod for her performance as Rebecca Morgan, a black sharecropper's wifein "Sounder."
Walter Plunkett won an Oscar for Best Costume Design, Black-and-White for his work on the film The Actress(1953)