The much awaited 2018 Academy Awards ceremony was held on March 4th, marking the 90th edition of the Oscars. 2017’s best films and actors were feted in great fanfare at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles. As expected, Hollywood’s black community did not disappoint.
Still riding on the Black Panther wave, a section of the cast arrived dripping with Wakandan royalty. Danai Gurira, Lupita Nyong’o, Chadwick Boseman, Daniel Kaluuya and Winston Duke were show-stoppers on the red carpet. Boseman and Lupita presented some awards during the ceremony.
Lupita dazzled in a flowing gold gown with black accents. Her simple yet elegant hairdo was a celebration of African hair. Danai’s bustier off-white gown topped off with her killer buzz cut was such a stylish combo without trying too hard. T’Challa (Boseman) reminded everyone who’s king with his all-black suit with silver detail on the shoulders. Winston accesorised his black suit and white shirt with a scarf draped over his shoulders.
Fans went wild with appreciation for the stars. Twitter was awash with calls for Black Panther to receive nominations for next year’s Oscars. The highly acclaimed movie has topped Box Office charts for three weeks in a row so far, grossing $800 million globally.
Tiffany Haddish, Viola Davis and Taraji Henson pulled no punches with their outifts as well. They presented various awards. Jordan Peele blazed the trail as the first black screenwriter to clinch the Best Original Screenplay award for his production Get Out. He is also the first black filmmaker to receive nominations for producing, directing and writing in the same year. Denzel Washington has been stealing women’s hearts for so many years, and now his nomination for Roman J. Israel, Esq. has earned him the position of most honoured black actor.
This year’s Academy Awards (popularly known as the Oscars) were oozing black excellence like never before. We hope to keep seeing such positive success stories not only in the film industry but also other sectors.
