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It’s Oscars weekend, and the excitement in Hollywood is already building. From intimate studio dinners to industry celebrations across Los Angeles, nominees and creatives alike are stepping into a weekend dedicated to honoring the year’s most powerful performances in film. 

The festivities officially kicked off with the ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood Awards earlier this week, which will be available to stream today. Our beloved annual celebration honors the Black women whose talent, vision, and impact continue to shape the entertainment industry.

Amidst it all, we’re thinking about how a talent’s first Academy Awards appearance is a defining moment—one that extends far beyond the red carpet. It’s an opportunity to step onto one of the world’s most prestigious stages, marking a milestone in a career and solidifying one’s place in cinematic history. For many, it’s also the beginning of asrc=”https://media.essence.com/vxcjywbwpa/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-476193831-scaled.jpg” alt=”Black Stars Brought Unforgettable Style To Their First Oscars” width=”400″ height=”600″ />HOLLYWOOD, CA – MARCH 02:Actor Michael B. Jordan attends the Oscars held at Hollywood & Highland Center on March 2, 2014 in Hollywood, California.(Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage) Denzel Washington 

Denzel Washington received his first Oscar nomination in 1988, though his earliest available Getty Images appearance dates to 1990. By then, he had secured his first Academy Award for his role in Glory. For the occasion, Washington kept it timeless in a classic black tuxedo paired with a crisp white dress shirt.

Actor Denzel Washington on stage winning his Best Supporting Actor Oscar for the film ‘Glory’, at the 62nd Academy Awards, Hollywood, CA, March 26th 1990. (Photo by Archive Photos/Getty Images) Halle Berry 

Halle Berry won her first Oscar in 2002, taking home Best Actress for Monster’s Ball, making her first Black woman to win in the category. She first graced the Academy Awards red carpet in 1996, stepping out in a satin-accented dress adorned with floral details on the sleeves and a coordinating sheer scarf.

Halle Berry (Photo by Kevin Mazur Archive/WireImage) Sidney Poitier 

Actor Sidney Poitier attended his first Oscar ceremony in 1963 and made history the following year as the first Black man to win Best Actor for his role in Lilies of the Field. He wore a classic suit paired with a diagonal-striped tie.

Bahamian-American actor Sidney Poitier (1927 – 2022) at the 39th Academy Awards in Santa Monica, Los Angeles, 10th April 1967. He is presenting the award for Best Supporting Actress. (Photo by Archive Photos/Getty Images) Zendaya 

Zendaya attended her first Oscar ceremony in 2015, wearing an off-the-shoulder white Vivienne Westwood gown,decoding=”async” src=”https://media.essence.com/vxcjywbwpa/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-464294046-scaled.jpg” alt=”Black Stars Brought Unforgettable Style To Their First Oscars” width=”400″ height=”576″ />HOLLYWOOD, CA – FEBRUARY 22:Zendaya arrives at the 87th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on February 22, 2015 in Hollywood, California.(Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage) Ryan Coogler 

Five-time Oscar nominee, director, and producer Ryan Coogler attended the 2019 Academy Awards following the success of Black Panther, which earned seven nominations, including Best Picture. On the red carpet, Coogler wore a light gray suit with silk-lined lapels, accessorized with a patterned scarf draped over his shoulder, a subtle nod to the African heritage and cultural influences celebrated throughout the film.

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 24: (L-R) Zinzi Evans and director Ryan Coogler attend the 91st Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on February 24, 2019 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) Lupita Nyong’o 

In 2014, Lupita Nyong’o made her Oscar debut in a custom baby-blue Prada gown with a plunging neckline and flowing pleated skirt, and won Best Supporting Actress for 12 Years a Slave.

HOLLYWOOD, CA – MARCH 02:Actress Lupita Nyong’o poses in the press room during the Oscars at Loews Hollywood Hotel on March 2, 2014 in Hollywood, California.(Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic) Whoopi Goldberg 

In 1985, actress and host Whoopi Goldberg made her Oscar debut in an all-white ensemble, pairing linen pants with a white blazer and a button-up shirt left slightly open at the top.

American actress Whoopi Goldberg poses in a white tuxedo in New York, New York, circa 1985. (Photo by Oscar Abolafia/TPLP/Getty Images) Viola Davis 

At the 2009 Oscars, Viola Davis made her debut as she was nominated for best supporting actress for her role in Doubt she wore a halter neck gold and black ombre dress with lots of pleating designed by Reem Acra.

Actress Viola Davis arrives at the 81st Academy Awards at The Kodak Theatre on February 22, 2009 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Dan MacMedan/WireImage) Billy Porter 

Actor Billy Porter attended the 2019 Oscars as an ABC correspondent, wearing a gender-bending tuxedo gown by Christian Siriano. The look featured a classic tuxedo bodice that flared at the waist into a dramatic, Cinderella- decoding=”async” src=”https://media.essence.com/vxcjywbwpa/uploads/2026/03/billyporter-scaled.jpeg” alt=”Black Stars Brought Unforgettable Style To Their First Oscars” width=”400″ height=”558″ />HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 24: Billy Porter attends the 91st Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on February 24, 2019 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

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Author: Akili King

Read the original article on Essence.