It's official: The Academy loved the look and sound of Black Panther.
Marvel's superhero blockbuster, directed by Ryan Coogler, won best production design and best costume design at Sunday's 91st Academy Awards ceremony. It also took home the statue for best original score.
It, did, however, lose to A Star is Born for best original song and to Bohemian Rhapsody for both best sound editing and best sound mixing.
As for the big award, best picture, Black Panther lost to Green Book. Other films nominated for Hollywood's top gong included BlacKkKlansman, Bohemian Rhapsody, The Favourite, Roma, A Star is Born and Vice.
The Oscars are often associated with worthy filmmaking, which means effects-driven comic book blockbusters are generally relegated to the technical categories. But Black Panther was more than a popcorn hit, tackling timely questions of race amid the fast-paced fantasy action. Just nominating the film shows the Academy is changing with the times.
The Oscars cap a remarkable year for Black Panther since it hit theaters in February 2018, earning over a billion dollars at the box office. Among a swath of award nominations it scooped the top honor from the African-American Film Critics Association, the Black Reel Awards, BET and MTV. The film's music, visual effects and actors have also been rewarded with SAG awards, a BAFTA, a Grammy and several other wins.
