Hollywood, March 16, 2026 — Michael B. Jordan claimed his first Academy Award on Sunday night, winning Best Actor in a Leading Role for his powerful dual performance as twin brothers Stack and Smoke in Ryan Coogler's vampire horror drama Sinners.
The win came during the 98th Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre, where Jordan triumphed over a strong field including Timothée Chalamet (Marty Supreme), Leonardo DiCaprio (One Battle After Another), Ethan Hawke (Blue Moon), and Wagner Moura (The Secret Agent).
In an emotional acceptance speech, Jordan began with a heartfelt "God is good," before shouting out to his mother in the audience—"Mama, what's up?"—and acknowledging his father's presence. He expressed deep gratitude to director Ryan Coogler, calling him an "amazing, amazing person" and praising him for "betting on the culture" and providing the space "for me to be seen."
"Love you too, bro. Love you to death," Jordan said to Coogler, highlighting their long-standing collaboration that began with Fruitvale Station in 2013, continued through the Black Panther films, and culminated in Sinners.
Jordan also paid tribute to the trailblazing Black actors who preceded him as Best Actor winners: Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, Jamie Foxx, Forest Whitaker, and Will Smith. With this victory, he becomes the sixth Black actor to claim the category's top honor. (Halle Berry remains the sole Black woman to have won Best Actress.)
Sinners, set in the 1932 Mississippi Delta amid the Jim Crow era, blends vampire horror with themes of Black culture, survival, and resilience. Coogler wrote, directed, and produced the film alongside his wife Zinzi Coogler and collaborator Sev Ohanian.
The movie made history with a record-breaking 16 Oscar nominations—the most ever for a single film—and secured four wins overall:
Best Actor — Michael B. Jordan
Best Original Screenplay — Ryan Coogler (making him only the second Black writer to win the category, after Jordan Peele for Get Out)
Best Cinematography — Autumn Durald Arkapaw (the first woman ever to win in the category, and the first person of African American or Filipino descent)
Best Original Score — Ludwig Göransson (his second win with Coogler, following Black Panther)
During his speech for Original Screenplay, Coogler joked nervously about being played off, noting his Oakland and Richmond roots: "Please sit down because I’m very nervous, and they’re gonna play me off... We can talk a lot."
Arkapaw, accepting her groundbreaking Cinematography win, called Coogler an "honorable person" and thanked the women who supported her campaign: "I felt so much love from all the women on this whole campaign... Moments like this happen because of you guys."
Göransson praised Coogler as one of the "greatest storytellers of our time."
While Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another took home the most awards with six (including Best Picture), Sinners delivered a historic and celebrated night for Coogler, Jordan, and the entire team, underscoring bold storytelling and cultural representation in cinema.
