The 2021 Grammy Awards was a historic night for Black women. On Sunday, March 14, Mickey Guyton the first black female country to play on the Grammys while Megan Thee Stallion won Best New Artist – and was the first female rapper to do so since Lauryn Hill took home the award in 1999 for her album, Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Beyoncé led the night with nine nominations (the most of any artist in 2021), taking home four Grammy Awards: Best Video for “Brown Skin Girl,” – which also won her daughter 9 Blue Ivy, credited with writing, Image – Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song for “Savage” by Megan Thee Stallion but Best R&B Performance for “Black Parade,” won the 28th Grammy Award for the singer.
Just minutes before Beyoncé won her 27th Grammy, she was tied with Bluegrass singer Alison Krauss’ s previous album. “This is so awful,” Beyoncé said in her acceptance speech after standing. “I’ve been working all my life, since I was 9 years old. I don’t think this happened. This is such a magical night, thank you very much. ”“ Blue, congratulations! She won a Grammy tonight, ”said Beyoncé. “I’m so proud of you, and I’m honored to be your mother.” She is now linked with Quincy Jones as the live man with the biggest Grammys.
And the trend continues, especially for black women artists. On Monday, the Academy Awards announced the 2021 Oscar nomination. For the first time ever, black women were nominated for hairstyle and makeup: Ma Rainey black bottom head of hair department Mia Neal and Jamika Wilson, hair designer Viola Davis. “The recognition of my art and talent by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is greater than mine,” Wilson reported Variety. “It is up to every young hairdresser who dreams outside of a salon chair to work on a set of motion pictures. It is for the young child who tells the parents that they want to be a hairdresser to get an answer of ‘That is not a real job. ‘The designation confirms that hair styling is a form of art, craft and skill. It also shows every Black woman or man who does hair that we can achieve, and importantly that our talent and skill are equal and unique. ”
Viola Davis, Best Actress candidate for Netflix Ma Rainey black bottom, just made Oscar history with her 4th nomination. Davis is now the most famous Black actress never, and the only Black woman with two Best Actor nominations. Andra Day has also been nominated for best actress for her role in Hulu’s United States vs. Billie Holiday. This is the first time in 48 years that two Black women have been named in the Best Actor category since Diana Ross and Cicely Tyson were both nominated in 1973. Tyson was nominated for her role in Sounder, while Ross was nominated for playing Billie Holiday in Lady Lady sings the Blues. Liza Minnelli won for Cabaret.
It’s worth noting that both Davis and Day are nominated for posts depicting black women fighting for their legacies. Ma Rainey and Billie Holiday were glamourous but not considered docile or submissive (and would not water themselves) to the white scene. Prior to Monday’s Oscar nominations, Davis was associated with actress Octavia Spencer as the most famous Black actress in history. Spencer was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for Her Roles in The Help, Hidden figures, and The shape of the water. Spencer took home the Oscar for The Help.
“For me, it’s a reflection of the lack of opportunities and access to opportunities that people of color have had in this industry. If I, going back to the Oscars four times in 2021, make them the most famous Black actress in history, that is a testament to the paucity of material that has existed. for color artists, ” Davis said Variety in February. “There are a lot of white actresses out there, who are relatively young – in their 20s or 30s, who have been to the Academy Awards just as often as I or more than me,” Davis continued. “It’s a mirror of their talent – but it’s also a mirror of their opportunities. That’s what it is. It’s a mirror of how they had the opportunity – those three, four or five jobs that were so good that brought them to that place. [Being a Black actress] it ‘s like having an elegant body, but not having the right clothes to showcase it. ”
The 2021 Academy Awards will be held on Sunday, April 25th.