Wright State grad Hannah Beachler earns Oscar nomination for production design on ‘Sinners’

Hannah Beachler, a 2005 graduate of Wright State’s Motion Pictures Program, was nominated for an Oscar for Best Production Design for her work on “Sinners.”

Wright State University graduate Hannah Beachler earned her second Academy Award nomination, this time for Best Production Design on the blockbuster film “Sinners.” 

Beachler, a 2005 graduate of Wright State’s Motion Pictures Program, has also been nominated for an Art Directors Guild Award nomination for production design in a period feature film. 

As production designer on “Sinners,” Beachler helped bring to life director Ryan Coogler’s Southern Gothic vampire thriller. The film made Oscar history with 16 total nominations, more than any other film in Academy Award history. 

The nomination marks Beachler’s second Oscar nod. She made history in 2019 as the first Black woman to win an Academy Award for Best Production Design on Coogler’s “Black Panther.” 

Beachler’s work on “Sinners” has already garnered critical acclaim, earning her the Best Production Design Award from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association. 

“Sinners” is the fifth film Beachler has worked on with Coogler. She was also the production designer for Coogler’s films “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” “Creed” and “Fruitvale Station,” which won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Film and the Audience Award for Best Film at the Sundance Film Festival in 2013. 

Her production design credits also include “Miles Ahead,” a biographical film based on the life of jazz musician Miles Davis, and “Moonlight,” which won the Academy Award for Best Picture and the Golden Globe Award for Best Drama in 2017. 

Beachler’s creative accomplishments extend beyond feature films. 

In 2024, she made her Broadway debut designing an Afrofuturistic spin on “The Wiz” revival, directed by Dayton native Schele Williams. She also received the 2017 Art Directors Guild Award for excellence in production design and art direction for her work on Beyoncé’s visual album “Lemonade.” 

Beachler has said the education she received in Wright State’s Motion Pictures Program helped prepare her for her career by exposing her to important films and literature and giving her the foundation to collaborate with directors at a high level. 

Beachler was honored as the 2018 Alumna of the Year by the Wright State Alumni Association. 

The 98th annual Academy Awards will air live on ABC and stream on Hulu on Sunday, March 15, at 7 p.m.