Poll: African-American Milestones in Movies and TV

Results of 612 votes:

1. 1.
   

   Hattie McDaniel

    

   First African-American actress to win an Academy Award: Hattie McDaniel, Best Supporting Actress for Gone with the Wind (1939) (1939)
2. 2.
   

   Sidney Poitier in Lilies of the Field (1963)

    

   First African-American actor to win an Academy Award: Sidney Poitier, Best Actor for Lilies of the Field (1963) (1963)
3. 3.
   

   Denzel Washington in Glory (1989)

    

   First African-American to win two Academy Awards for acting: Denzel Washington in Glory (1989) (1989), for which he won Best Supporting Actor, and Training Day (2001) (2001), for which he won Best Act…
4. 4.
   

   Viola Davis in How to Get Away with Murder (2014)

    

   First African-American actress to win a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series: Viola Davis for "How to Get Away with Murder (2014)" in 2015
5. 5.
   

   Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier in The Defiant Ones (1958)

    

   First African-American actor to be nominated for an Academy Award: Sidney Poitier in The Defiant Ones (1958) (1958)
6. 6.
   

   Halle Berry in Monster's Ball (2001)

    

   First African-American to win an Academy Award for Best Actress: Halle Berry for Monster's Ball (2001) (2001)
7. 7.
   

   Nat King Cole, c. 1954.

    

   First African-American to host a network television show: Nat 'King' Cole in "The Nat King Cole Show (1956)" (1954)
8. 8.
   

   Bruno Campos and Anika Noni Rose in The Princess and the Frog (2009)

    

   First Disney Princess of African-American Heritage: Tiana, heroine of The Princess and the Frog (2009) (2009), who was voiced by Anika Noni Rose
9. 9.
   

   Oprah Winfrey and Prince in The Oprah Winfrey Show (1986)

    

   First African-American woman to host a daytime talk show: Oprah Winfrey in "The Oprah Winfrey Show (1986)" (1986)
10. 10.
    

    Angela Bassett in What's Love Got to Do with It (1993)

     

    First African-American woman to win Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy: Angela Bassett in What's Love Got to Do with It (1993) (1993)
11. 11.
    

    Gordon Parks

     

    First African-American to direct a major Hollywood film: Gordon Parks, who directed The Learning Tree (1969) (1969) for Warner Brothers
12. 12.
    

    Prince in Purple Rain (1984)

     

    First African-American to win an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score: Prince for Purple Rain (1984) (1985)
13. 13.
    

    Quincy Jones

     

    First African-American producer to be nominated for Best Picture: Quincy Jones for The Color Purple (1985) (1985)
14. 14.
    

    "I Spy" Robert Culp, Bill Cosby circa 1965

     

    First African-American in a lead role in primetime TV: Bill Cosby in "I Spy (1965)" (1965) Bill Cosby is also the first African-American (male or female) to win a Primetime Emmy Award for &q…
15. 15.
    

    John Singleton at an event for The Oscars (2016)

     

    First African-American to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Director: Boyz n the Hood (1991) for Boyz n the Hood (1991) (1992)
16. 16.
    

    Whoopi Goldberg at an event for The 63rd Annual Academy Awards (1991)

     

    First African-American to host the Academy Awards solo: Whoopi Goldberg (1994)
17. 17.
    

    Richard Gere and Louis Gossett Jr. in An Officer and a Gentleman (1982)

     

    First African-American to win an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor: Louis Gossett Jr. for An Officer and a Gentleman (1982) (1983)
18. 18.
    

    Ethel Waters, c. 1939.

     

    First African-American to be featured on a sitcom: Ethel Waters as Beulah in "Beulah (1950)" (1950)
19. 19.
    

    Sherman Hemsley and Isabel Sanford at an event for The Jeffersons (1975)

     

    First African-American actress to win a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series: Isabel Sanford for "The Jeffersons (1975)" in 1981
20. 20.
    

    Harry Belafonte and Dorothy Dandridge in Carmen Jones (1954)

     

    First African-American nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress: Dorothy Dandridge for Carmen Jones (1954) (1954)
21. 21.
    

    Diahann Carroll

     

    First African-American actor (male or female) to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award: Diahann Carrolll for "Naked City (1958)" (1958)
22. 22.
    

    Robert Guillaume in Benson (1979)

     

    First African-American actor to win a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series: Benson (1979) for "Benson (1979)" in 1985
23. 23.
    

    Cicely Tyson in East Side/West Side (1963)

     

    First African-American star of a TV drama: Cicely Tyson in "East Side/West Side (1963)" (1963)
24. 24.
    

    "Academy Awards: 44th Annual," Isaac Hayes, Joel Grey. 1972.

     

    First African-American to win a non-acting Academy Award: Isaac Hayes, who won the award for Best Original Song for the "Theme From Shaft" from Shaft (1971) (1972)
25. 25.
    

    Herbie Hancock at an event for The 57th Annual Grammy Awards (2015)

     

    First African-American to win an Academy Award for Best Original Score: Herbie Hancock for 'Round Midnight (1986) (1987)