Ngozi Olandu Young is an acclaimed American makeup artist whose influential work across film and television has made her a respected creative force in Hollywood. Best known for her contributions to both high-profile feature films and prestige television series, Young has established a distinguished career behind the camera, blending technical mastery with an intuitive artistic sensibility.

Young’s makeup artistry has been featured in an impressive array of projects, including Baz Luhrmann’s The Color Purple (2023) and Spike Lee’s 2025 drama Highest 2 Lowest, where she served as makeup department head—her role in the latter premiering at the Cannes Film Festival. She also contributed to the 2025 film A House of Dynamite as part of the Washington, D.C. makeup team. In television, her credits include the critically acclaimed limited series We Own This City (2022), HBO’s Mare of Easttown (2021), and the genre-bending series Watchmen (2019), among others.

Over the course of her career, Young has earned significant recognition from her peers: she is a multiple Primetime Emmy nominee, including nominations for Outstanding Contemporary Makeup for Mare of Easttown and Outstanding Makeup for a Limited Series or a Movie for Bessie (2015). Her exceptional work has also been acknowledged with Image Awards from the NAACP, winning Outstanding Makeup (Television or Film) for both We Own This City and The Color Purple. Additionally, she contributed to an Online Film & Television Association win for Best Makeup/Hairstyling on Game Change.

Throughout her career, Young has balanced technical precision with creative leadership, increasingly taking on department head roles and mentoring emerging artists in the industry.