Hattie McDaniel was the first African American to win an Academy Award, in 1940. This list of Black Academy Award winners and nominees is fully current as of the 97th Academy Awards, which was held on March 2, 2025.

For her role as Mammy in Gone with the Wind (1939), she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, becoming the first African American to win an Oscar.

Mar 12, 2022 · The literal definition of a trailblazer, Hattie McDaniel is the first Black person to ever win or be nominated for an Academy Award.

Nov 24, 2009 · McDaniel, who won the Best Supporting Actress Academy Award, was the first African American actress or actor ever to be honored with an Oscar. Born in Wichita, Kansas, in 1895, McDaniel...

1 day ago · Halle Berry became the first and only Black women in history to win an Academy Award as Best Actress in 2002. An accomplished actress who needs no introduction, she has raised a vital question in the documentary, Number One on the Call Sheet: Black Leading Women in Hollywood. Berry says in the documentary, about her Oscar win:

Apr 15, 2021 · Actor and radio performer Hattie McDaniel became the first African American to win an Oscar in 1940, for her supporting role as Mammy in Gone with the Wind.

Feb 3, 2025 · McDaniel won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role of Mammy in 'Gone With The Wind', making her the first African-American to win an Academy Award.

May 16, 2020 · Hattie McDaniel made history in 1940 when she became the first black person to win an Oscar for her role as Mammy in "Gone With The Wind." McDaniel appeared in around 300 films and was credited as a maid in 74 of them.

Mar 11, 2024 · Denzel Washington became the first two-time African-American acting champion when he claimed victory for "Glory" (supporting in 1989) and "Training Day" (lead in 2001), with Mahershala Ali...

Feb 27, 2025 · First African American Oscar Winner: Hattie McDaniel Born in Wichita, Kansas, in 1893, Hattie McDaniel was a film actress, singer-songwriter, stage actress, radio performer, and comedian. McDaniel became the first African American to win an Oscar, officially known as the Academy Award of Merit, at the twelfth Academy Awards.