For years, superhero movies have often been ignored by the Academy, but that definitely wasn't the case today, as Marvel's Black Panther netted a Best Picture nomination. Fortunately, Black Panther's hopes of walking away with some gold doesn't only hinge on the night's biggest award, because Ryan Coogler's film received multiple nominations, including Best Costume Design for Ruth E. Carter. The costume designer was all smiles in her reaction to her nomination. Take a look:
It might have been an early morning since the nominations are announced at the crack of dawn for... reasons, but an Oscar nomination is a better pick-me-up than even the strongest cup of coffee, and the news clearly has Ruth E. Carter bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. As she says in her Twitter video, the morning's news has her ready to declare that the game can be called because today is, in fact, the best morning of all time to be alive.
I'm not sure how everyone else feels, but it was certainly a great morning to wake up as Ruth E. Carter. While many were expecting and hoping that Ruth E. Carter would get nominated for her acclaimed work in Black Panther, snubs can and do happen, so to know that she officially received her nomination is something to celebrate.
Black Panther has many achievements, but a huge part of what made the film such a phenomenon and 'Wakanda Forever' part of the zeitgeist is how Ryan Coogler and company created a believable world, complete with its own culture and history. Ruth E. Carter's costume work was a huge part of that.
From the different looks of the Wakandan tribes, to the armor of the Dora Milaje, to the ceremonial attire of the priests and the formal wear of the characters, every outfit in Black Panther evoked a country that developed apart from the outside world and yet is deeply African. Ruth E. Carter's costumes helped bring the vibrant world of Wakanda to life, and her Oscar nomination is well deserved.
This is not the first Oscar nomination for the costume designer either. She was previously nominated in 1993 for Malcolm X and 1998 for Amistad. Ruth E. Carter did not win either of those times, but she get another chance to go home with a statue thanks to her work in Black Panther, so maybe third time's the charm.
To do that though, she will have to beat out a field of contenders that includes period pieces, a fantasy film and a western. The other nominees in the Best Costume Design category are Mary Zophres for The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, Alexandra Byrne for Mary Queen of Scots and Sandy Powell for both The Favourite and Mary Poppins Returns.
The 91st Academy Awards airs on February 24 on ABC. Check out our 2019 release schedule to keep track of the biggest movies heading to theaters this year and stay tuned to CinemaBlend for all your Oscar coverage.
