Through the 2026 Oscars, 20 Black performers have won in one of the Academy’s four competitive acting categories, earning 23 acting Oscars altogether. The difference is that 20 counts people, while 23 counts awards, including repeat wins. This is a compiled count—not a racial tally published by the Academy—and covers competitive acting awards only.
What the count includes
The count covers wins in the Academy’s four competitive acting categories: Actor in a Leading Role, Actor in a Supporting Role, Actress in a Leading Role, and Actress in a Supporting Role. Each performer is counted once in the total of 20, even if they won more than one acting Oscar; each award is counted in the total of 23.
It excludes honorary awards, wins in non-acting categories, and nominees who did not win. The Academy’s official awards database records individual winners and nominees. The 20-person, 23-win aggregate is reported by Blex Media’s 2026 compilation, which can be checked against the Academy’s results; it should not be described as an Academy-issued statistic.
Milestones in Black acting Oscar history
Hattie McDaniel was the first Black competitive Oscar winner
Hattie McDaniel won Actress in a Supporting Role for playing Mammy in Gone with the Wind (1939); the award was presented in 1940. The Academy identifies her as the first Black person nominated for and to win a competitive Academy Award. The Academy’s historical account describes the milestone.
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Sidney Poitier was the first Black Best Actor winner
Sidney Poitier was the first Black performer to win the leading-actor award. In 2002, Denzel Washington became the second Black winner in that category; he had previously won Actor in a Supporting Role. The Academy recounted these milestones in its 2002 ceremony history.
Halle Berry was the first Black Best Actress winner
Halle Berry became the first Black woman to win Actress in a Leading Role, for Monster’s Ball. The Academy’s 2002 account called her the first African-American actress to win the category. See the Academy’s 2002 ceremony history.
Michael B. Jordan is the latest winner in this count
At the 2026 ceremony, Michael B. Jordan won Actor in a Leading Role for Sinners. He is the latest Black acting winner included in the count through that ceremony. The Academy’s 2026 results record the award.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why different counts may appear
“How many Black Oscar winners?” can refer to people, awards, acting categories, or every Oscar category. The figure here answers a narrower question: unique Black performers who have won at least once in a competitive acting category, and their total acting-category wins. It does not count Black winners in directing, writing, music, or other fields.
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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →The Academy’s records establish individual category results, but the combined racial tally of 20 people and 23 acting wins is a secondary compilation. That distinction matters when quoting the figure or comparing it with a count using a different scope.
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