‘Ma Rainey’s’ Mia Neal and Jamika Wilson Become First Black Women to Win Oscar for Hair and Makeup
Jazz Tangcay Artisans Editor“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” hair department head Mia Neal and Jamika Wilson, Viola Davis’ personal hairstylist, have become the first Black women to win an Oscar for makeup and hairstyling.Neal and Wilson won alongside Sergio Lopez-Rivera, Davis’ personal makeup artist. They beat out Mark Coulier, Dalia Colli and Francesco Pegoretti for “Pinocchio”; “Emma’s” Marese Langan, Laura Allen and Claudia Stolze; Kimberley Spiteri, Gigi Williams and Colleen LaBaff for “Mank”; and “Hillbilly Elegy’s” Eryn Krueger Mekash, Patricia Dehaney and Matthew Mungle. The award was created by the Academy in 1981 after the 1980 film “The Elephant Man” was not recognized.