2021 MUAH Awards: ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’ and ‘Birds of Prey’ Are Top Makeup, Hairstyling Winners

“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” captured the top period feature prizes for makeup and hairstyling at the 8th annual MUAHS Guild Awards Saturday night, making it the prohibitive Oscar favorite for the dramatic transformation of Viola Davis as the titular pioneering blues singer. Davis, who landed her fourth Oscar nomination as the sexy, subversive Rainey — the most of any Black actress — was boldly uncompromising in demanding verisimilitude for Netflix’s adaptation of the August Wilson play. Davis was fitted with gold teeth, charcoal-like makeup, and a wig made of horsehair.

Winning both contemporary makeup and hairstyling feature honors at the virtual ceremony was Warner Bros./DC’s “Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn.” Capturing feature makeup effects was the only other Oscar nominee honored: Matteo Garrone’s “Pinocchio,” for innovative work by two-time Oscar winner Mark Coulier (“The Grand Budapest Hotel” and “The Iron Lady”). He recreated the look of real wooden puppets for the titular hero (played by (Federico Ielapi) and his theater friends by using every prosthetic technique available.

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Meanwhile, in what could be a preview of the Emmy race, Netflix’s buzzy “The Queen’s Gambit” and “Bridgerton” split period TV makeup and hairstyling, respectively, beating the streamer’s tentpole, “The Crown.” Additionally, HBO’s “Westworld” and CBC’s “Schitt’s Creek” had the same split for contemporary TV makeup and hairstyling, while Disney+’s “The Mandalorian” scored for special makeup effects, and the streamer’s “Hamilton” won period special and live stage hairstyling.

As previously announced, Eddie Murphy (“Coming 2 America”) received the Distinguished Artisan Award, and Oscar and Emmy- winning make-up artist Matthew Mungle and Emmy-winning hair stylist Terry Baliel took home the 2021 MUAHS Lifetime Achievement Awards.

FEATURE-LENGTH MOTION PICTURE – Best Contemporary Make-Up

“Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)”
Deborah Lamia Denaver, Sabrina Wilson, Miho Suzuki, Cale Thomas

FEATURE-LENGTH MOTION PICTURE – Best Period and/or Character Make-Up

“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
Matiki Anoff, Sergio Lopez-Rivera, Carl Fullerton, Debi Young

FEATURE-LENGTH MOTION PICTURE – Best Special Make-Up Effects

“Pinocchio”
Mark Coulier

FEATURE-LENGTH MOTION PICTURE – Best Contemporary Hair Styling

“Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)”
Adruitha Lee, Cassie Russek, Margarita Pidgeon, Nikki Nelms

FEATURE-LENGTH MOTION PICTURE – Best Period Hair Styling and/or Character Hair Styling

“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
Mia Neal, Larry Cherry, Leah Loukas, Tywan Williams

TELEVISION SERIES, TELEVISION LIMITED OR MINISERIES OR TELEVISION NEW MEDIA SERIES –

Best Contemporary Make-Up

“Westworld”
Elisa Marsh, John Damiani, Jennifer Aspinall, Rachel Hoke

TELEVISION SERIES, TELEVISION LIMITED OR MINISERIES OR TELEVISION NEW MEDIA SERIES –

Best Period and/or Character Make-Up

“The Queen’s Gambit”
Daniel Parker

TELEVISION SERIES, TELEVISION LIMITED OR MINISERIES OR TELEVISION NEW MEDIA SERIES –

Best Special Make-Up Effects

“The Mandalorian”
Brian Sipe, Alexei Dmitriew, Samantha Ward, Scott Stoddard

TELEVISION SERIES, TELEVISION LIMITED OR MINISERIES OR TELEVISION NEW MEDIA SERIES –

Best Contemporary Hair Styling

“Schitt’s Creek”
Annastasia Cucullo, Ana Sorys

TELEVISION SERIES, TELEVISION LIMITED OR MINISERIES OR TELEVISION NEW MEDIA SERIES –

Best Period and/or Character Hair Styling

“Bridgerton”
Marc Pilcher, Lynda J. Pearce, Adam James Phillips, Tania Couper

TELEVISION SPECIAL, ONE HOUR OR MORE LIVE PROGRAM SERIES OR MOVIE FOR TELEVISION –

Best Contemporary Make-Up

“Saturday Night Live”
Louie Zakarian, Amy Tagliamonti, Jason Milani, Joanna Pisani

TELEVISION SPECIAL, ONE HOUR OR MORE LIVE PROGRAM SERIES OR MOVIE FOR TELEVISION –

Best Period and/or Character Make-Up

“Saturday Night Live”
Louie Zakarian, Amy Tagliamonti, Jason Milani, Rachel Pagani

TELEVISION SPECIAL, ONE HOUR OR MORE LIVE PROGRAMS SERIES, OR MOVIE FOR TELEVISION –

Best Contemporary Hair Styling

“Dancing with the Stars”
Kimi Messina, Jani Kleinbard, Regina Rodriquez, Roma Goddard

TELEVISION SPECIAL, ONE HOUR OR MORE LIVE PROGRAMS SERIES, OR MOVIE FOR TELEVISION –

Best Period Hair Styling and/or Character Hair Styling

“Hamilton”
Frederick Waggoner

DAYTIME TELEVISION – Best Make-Up

“The Kelly Clarkson Show”
Jason McGlothin, Gloria Elias-Foeillet, Chanty LaGrana, John Foster

DAYTIME TELEVISION – Best Hair Styling

“The Kelly Clarkson Show”
Roberto Ramos, Tara Copeland

CHILDREN AND TEEN TELEVISION PROGRAMMING – Best Make-Up

“All That”
Michael Johnston, Melanie Mills, Tyson Fountaine, Nadege Schoenfeld

CHILDREN AND TEEN TELEVISION PROGRAMMING – Best Hair Styling

“All That”
Joe Matke, Dwayne Ross, Theresa Broadnax

COMMERCIALS & MUSIC VIDEOS – Best Make-Up

“Lady Gaga” “911”
Sarah Tanno, Mike Mekash, Eryn Krueger Mekash

COMMERCIALS & MUSIC VIDEOS – Best Hair Styling

“Workout/State Farm” “Chris Paul and Alfonso Ribeiro”
Stacey Morris

THEATRICAL PRODUCTIONS (Live Stage) – Best Hair Styling

“Hamilton (And Peggy Company)”
Marcelo Donari, Robert Mrazik

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