Key Takeaways
- Sinners won four Oscars at the 2026 Academy Awards, including Best Actor in a Leading Role and Best Original Screenplay.
- Michael B. Jordan became the sixth Black man to win Best Actor in a Leading Role, while Ryan Coogler became the second Black writer to win Best Original Screenplay.
- The film earned 16 nominations and also secured wins for Best Cinematography and Best Original Score.
Michael B. Jordan and Ryan Coogler have built one of the most consistent creative partnerships in modern film. On Sunday (March 15) night, that collaboration reached its highest peak when both men made Academy Awards history for their work on Sinners.
Jordan took home his first-ever Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role, becoming only the sixth Black man ever to win the category. Meanwhile, Coogler won Best Original Screenplay, becoming just the second Black writer to ever receive the award after Jordan Peele.
Jordan and Coogler’s journey to the Oscars began long before Sinners. The actor starred in Coogler’s 2013 directorial debut, Fruitvale Station, a film that immediately put both artists on Hollywood’s radar. Since then, the pair has continued to build together, reuniting for Creed, Black Panther, and now Sinners.
Over the years, they’ve grown into one of the most recognizable director-actor duos in the industry. Their continued work together reflects a rare level of trust and creative loyalty in Hollywood. Both artists repeatedly chose to work side by side while expanding the scale and ambition of their projects, and it paid off.
Jordan received a standing ovation as he took the stage at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles to accept his award for his dual performance as twin brothers Smoke and Stack. Set in the Mississippi Delta during the early 1930s, the multi-genre film follows the brothers as they return home hoping to start fresh, only to find themselves fighting to protect their community from supernatural threats. “God is good. God is good,” he began, acknowledging his family in attendance, including his mother and father, who traveled from Ghana for the ceremony.
He also thanked Warner Bros. executives Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy “for believing in this dream, this vision of Ryan Coogler, and betting on the culture and betting on original ideas and original artistry.” Turning to his longtime collaborator, Jordan added, “You’re an amazing, amazing person. I’m so honored to call you a collaborator and a friend. You gave me the opportunity and space for me to be seen, and I love you too, bro. Love you to death.”
Michael B. Jordan joins a historic list of Black Best Actor winners
The New Jersey native thanked his castmates, including Wunmi Mosaku, Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton, Delroy Lindo, and more. He later reflected on the legacy of the performers who came before him, saying, “I stand here because of the people that came before me: Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, Halle Berry, Jamie Foxx, Forest Whitaker, Will Smith. To be amongst those giants, amongst those greats, amongst my ancestors, amongst my guys.”
Coogler also took the stage to accept his first Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. “Please sit down because I'm very nervous, and they're going to play me off. I grew up in Oakland, Richmond, California, and we can talk a lot,” he said before showing gratitude to the Academy. “I want to thank the Academy for thinking of our movie that came out almost a year ago. This is an incredible honor.”
The filmmaker also expressed appreciation for his collaborators and family, adding, “Sev Ohanian and Zinzi Coogler, you guys are the best producers in the world. Zinzi, you [are] the best wife and mom in the world. Every day I get to spend with you is better than the one that came before it. And to my parents who are here, thank y’all for all the memories, thank y’all for making me believe in myself.”
He continued, "To my babies that are at home watching, I apologize for all the time away. Dad loves you. Memories are all we have. I hope I'll give you some great ones, and when y'all [are] blessed to live a long life and dad becomes just a memory, I want y’all to remember this one thing: I love y'all more than anything. Thank you."
Beyond Jordan and Coogler’s wins, Sinners also took home Best Cinematography for Autumn Durald Arkapaw and Best Original Score for Ludwig Göransson. Arkapaw made history as the first woman — and first woman of color — to win the cinematography category. During her acceptance speech, she asked all the women in the room to stand so she could thank them, creating one of the night’s most powerful moments. “I'm so honored to be here, and I really want all the women in the room to stand up,” Arkapaw said. “I feel like I don't get here without you guys.” She added, “I really, really truly mean that. I have felt so much love from all the women on this whole campaign and gotten to meet so many people, and I just feel like moments like this happen because of you guys, and I want to thank you for that.”
The film began the night with a record 16 nominations and ultimately secured four Academy Awards, marking a historic moment for the cast and creative team.
