LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ruth E. Carter has made history once more.
With her Oscar nomination for “Sinners,” Carter has become the most-nominated Black woman in Academy Awards history across any category, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences confirmed Thursday. The trailblazing costume designer was recognized for her work on Ryan Coogler’s blues-steeped vampire epic, set in the Jim Crow-era Mississippi Delta.
“It’s ... pride, gratitude, responsibility,” Carter told The Associated Press. She previously won Oscars for “Black Panther” in 2018 and “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” in 2023, becoming the first Black woman to win two Academy Awards.
Carter is now a five-time nominee, surpassing Oscar-winning actor Viola Davis. She is tied with longtime collaborator Spike Lee and Morgan Freeman for the third-most nominations among Black creatives, behind the late Quincy Jones and Denzel Washington.
“This is a major step in the development of our voices in Hollywood,” she said.
Over her career, Carter has shaped the visual language of some of Hollywood’s most influential films. She earned Oscar nominations for her work on Spike Lee’s “Malcolm X” and Steven Spielberg’s “Amistad,” and received acclaim for period ensembles in projects including “The Butler,” “Selma” and the reboot of “Roots.” Her designs have also been worn by Washington, Oprah Winfrey, Eddie Murphy and Jerry Seinfeld, including for the original “Seinfeld” pilot.
“My trajectory has been about telling the story of culture,” Carter said. “Our history is being erased as we speak. So to have this responsibility of telling our stories — and being as authentic as I can — and being awarded for it, is a celebration.”
In “Sinners,” Carter said she approached costume design as an act of protection rather than embellishment, determined to safeguard the visual truth of Black working-class life, particularly sharecroppers and migrants of the early 20th century.
“We made something out of nothing,” she said. “There were hand-me-downs. There were patches. If the pants were long, we turned them up. If the hem was crooked, we left it. We wanted to show how we took things for what they were and still found a way to celebrate.”
The nomination marks another collaboration with Coogler, whom Carter credits as a vital voice for the future of Black cinema.
“I thank the Lord that Ryan Coogler was born,” she said with a laugh. “Because he continues to tell stories that are important to the culture.”
Carter said the nomination also reflects staying power in an industry often defined by reinvention.
“I was the first to be nominated. I was the first to win. And I’m still in the game,” she said. “If my being here tells young designers anything, I hope it’s that this isn’t a fluke. It’s hard work. It’s voice. It’s vision. And it’s staying.”
FILE - Ruth E. Carter appears at the 31st Annual Critics Choice Awards in Santa Monica, Calif., on Jan. 4, 2026, (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Haiti’s presidential council stepped down on Saturday after almost two years of tumultuous rule alongside a U.S.-backed prime minister, who is expected to remain in power as the country prepares for the first general elections in a decade.
Days before the nine-member council was dissolved, the U.S. deployed a warship and two U.S. Coast Guard boats to waters near Haiti’s capital, where gangs control 90% of Port-au-Prince.
“The naval presence appears to provide the latest proof of Washington’s willingness to use the threat of force to shape politics in the Western Hemisphere,” said Diego Da Rin, an analyst with the International Crisis Group.
In late January, two of the council’s most influential members announced that a majority had voted to oust Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, defying calls from the U.S. government to uphold the country’s fragile political stability.
Days later, the U.S. government announced visa revocations for four unidentified council members and a Cabinet minister.
The council’s plan to oust Fils-Aimé for reasons not made public appeared to fall to the wayside as it stepped down in an official ceremony on Saturday.
“We need to put our personal interest to the side and continue progress for security,” said the council's outgoing president, Laurent Saint-Cyr, who rejected a push to dismiss the prime minister.
Fils-Aimé spoke briefly, saying he would address the nation later in the day.
“The presidential council has done its work by paving the way for a governance mindful of security and electoral issues,” he said.
On Saturday evening, in a rare move for a Haitian prime minister, Fils-Aimé spoke at the hour announced and promised to establish security, hold elections and develop an emergency humanitarian plan to provide food, care and shelter for the most vulnerable.
“The suffering of the population demands immediate action,” he said, stressing that Haitians must unite.
Fils-Aimé, who was flanked by police and army officials, also pledged to make Haiti a safer place. More than 8,100 killings were reported across the country of nearly 11 million people from January to November last year, according to the United Nations, which warned those figures are underreported.
“The gangs and those who support them will be hunted down, one by one. Every occupied area will be retaken, until the day every child walks to school without fear,” he said.
However, Fils-Aimé acknowledged that Haiti has reached what he called a dangerous crossroads.
"The coming days will be demanding," he said. “I don't promise miracles.”
Da Rin said negotiations are ongoing to decide what, if anything, would replace the council as a new multinational security mission prepares to transform a U.N.-backed mission led by Kenyan police that was understaffed and underfunded.
“Clarity on who will govern Haiti is essential,” Da Rin wrote in a recent essay. “Countries contributing to this force will want to know they are working alongside a government whose legitimacy is undisputed.”
Feb. 7 is a historic date for Haiti that marks the start of democratic rule after a nearly 30-year dictatorship. It’s also when presidents are traditionally sworn in.
But Haiti failed to hold general elections on Saturday as envisioned a couple of years ago, with gang violence gripping much of the capital and swaths of land in the country’s central region. Tentative dates were announced for August and December, but many believe it’s unlikely an election and a runoff will be held this year.
The council was established in April 2024, nearly three years after President Jovenel Moïse was killed at his residence, throwing Haiti into widespread upheaval.
At the time, former Prime Minister Ariel Henry was unable to return to Haiti following an official trip to Kenya because a powerful gang coalition had attacked key state infrastructure over the course of several days, forcing the country’s main international airport to close for nearly three months.
The council was created after Caribbean leaders and U.S. officials urgently met in Jamaica to build a framework for a political transition after Henry resigned.
Council members had long pledged to quell gang violence and improve life for Haiti but fell overwhelmingly short.
“The government has been unable to push back criminal gangs that control most of Port-au-Prince and have expanded into other areas,” Da Rin noted.
The council also was rocked by accusations of corruption, with a government agency accusing three members of bribery in late 2024.
As the council stepped down on Saturday, André Joseph, 42, a street vendor who was selling candy outside their government offices celebrated. He currently lives in a makeshift shelter — one of 1.4 million people displaced by gang violence — and said he wants to return home.
“Their time is up. They were there nearly two years and didn’t do anything for the country,” he said of the council. “Haiti needs to move on with a better government in charge that could lead the country into a better direction.”
Coto reported from San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Presidential Council Chair Laurent Saint-Cyr speaks during a ceremony marking the end of the transitional council's almost two-year rule, in Port-au-Prince, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé speaks during the ceremony marking the end of the presidential council in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Members of Haiti's presidential council receive bouquets of flowers at a ceremony marking the end of their almost two-year rule, in Port-au-Prince, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Haiti's Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, front row, left, and his cabinet pose for a group photo with members of the presidential council at a ceremony marking the end of their almost two-year rule, in Port-au-Prince, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Presidential Council Chair Laurent Saint-Cyr speaks during a ceremony marking the end of the transitional council's almost two-year rule, in Port-au-Prince, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé speaks during the ceremony marking the end of the presidential council in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Members of Haiti's presidential council receive bouquets of flowers at a ceremony marking the end of their almost two-year rule, in Port-au-Prince, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Haiti's Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, front row, left, and his cabinet pose for a group photo with members of the presidential council at a ceremony marking the end of their almost two-year rule, in Port-au-Prince, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, center, salutes as he arrives for a ceremony marking the end of the presidential council in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
