Best Costume Design

Gender

More than half–58%–of the 541 nominees for Best Costume Design were women.* At least one woman has been nominated each year since the distinction was first awarded in 1949. A total of 72 women have won the Oscar® in this category, compared to 46 men. Only 2% percent of all nominees for Best Costume Design were women of color, with 5 women of color winning the award. In 1983, the first woman of color was nominated and won (Bhanu Athaiya). Of the 12 nominations for a woman of color, 4 went to Ruth E. Carter. She has won the award twice, in 2019 and 2023.

58%

OF 541 NOMINEES WERE WOMEN

Only 2% of nominees in this category were women of color.

Race & Ethnicity

Five percent of the 541 nominees for Best Costume Design were from an underrepresented racial/ethnic group.* The ratio of white to underrepresented nominees is 18 to 1. The first nomination for a person of color was in 1953 (Antoni Clave). There have been only 8 underrepresented winners, with the first in 1955 (Mitsuzô Wada) and the most recent in 2025. Twelve of the 28 underrepresented nominees were Asian, 8 were Black/African American, 5 were Hispanic/Latino, and 3 were Middle Eastern/North African. In 2025 the first black man won in this category (Paul Tazewell).

5%

OF 541 NOMINEES WERE UNDERREPRESENTED

There have been 8 underrepresented winners in this category