Love is in the air, and so are the golden statuettes of winners at the 97th annual Academy Awards. Truth be told, Black love did not have the biggest presence on the big night (the recent NAACP Awards certainly take the crown for that!). Nonetheless, a few of your favorite Black stars and starlets grabbed their romantic partner, got gussied up in a fancy gown and tux/suit situation, and made Oscar night date night. From glamorous red carpet entrances to intimate moments shared between the glitz and glamour, these couples reminded us that true love and undeniable style are always in season. Even in a night dominated by awards, their connections were a show all on their own.
For instance, you can always count on Ryan Michelle Bathe and Sterling K. Brown to look absolutely gorgeous side by side during awards season. Zoe Saldaña and her hubby Marco Perego-Saldaña just ooze love and adoration. And Lena Waithe will always be right there in support of partner and Oscar nominee Cynthia Erivo. But wait, there’s more!
Scroll on down to see the couples we had our eyes on during the Academy Awards. They dazzled on the red carpet with their undeniable chemistry, impeccable style, and moments of pure elegance.
With Ryan looking like an Oscar herself, the couple and their high-wattage smiles made their mark on the carpet. The pair have been married since 2006.
The Oscar nominee, this time for the film Sing, Sing, enjoyed the event with his handsome husband Raúl. They’ve been married since 2014.
Now, these two have never confirmed that they’re an item, but since about 2020, they’ve been each other’s plus-one at just about all the industry gatherings. Waithe has been a mainstay of support for Erivo during this awards campaign. They didn’t walk the carpet together, but were together during the show, including here with Erivo’s Wicked co-star Ariana Grande.
This stunning pair looked fabulous, as usual, at the Oscars. Word is, they met on the set of Dancing With the Stars back in ’09, but didn’t become an item until 2013.
Bowers, an Oscar winner (for Best Documentary Short in 2023 for The Last Repair Shop) and nominee again for the 97th annual show, was happy to be back and with his wife, actress Briana, and an extra special guest – their baby baking in her tummy. They’ve been married since 2020.
Zoe, now an Oscar winner, looked cool, calm and collected going into her big moment, and that’s because she had hubby Marco by her side. They’ve been married since 2013.
