Mia Neal, Jamika Wilson first Black women to win Best Makeup and Hairstyling

Min Neal, Jamika Wilson, and Sergio Lopez-Rivera have won this year’s Oscar for the Best Makeup and Hairstyling for their work in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.

The victory makes Mia Neal and Jamika Wilson the first Black women to win an Oscar in the category.

The trio previously won awards for the Best Makeup and Hairstyling at BAFTA Awards, the Critics Choice Awards and the Hollywood Makeup Artist and Hair Stylist Guild Awards.

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom revolves around a famous singer named Ma Rainey who creates a record in a studio in 1927 Chicago, amidst the tension building up among her white agent and bandmates.

It deals with the exploitation of black recording artistes at the hands of white producers and the racism behind it.

The film also won this year’s Oscar for the Best Costume Design, honouring the work of Ann Roth. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom was also nominated for Best Actor (Chadwick Boseman), Best Actress (Viola Davis), and Best Production Design.