Michael B. Jordan has won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his dual roles as twins Stack and Smoke in the film Sinners, directed by Ryan Coogler.
During his acceptance speech, Jordan expressed gratitude and reflected on the moment, saying, “God is good.” He also thanked Coogler for his creative vision and for “betting on the culture.”
Jordan praised the director for giving him the opportunity to bring the characters to life. “You’re an amazing, amazing person,” he said to Coogler. “I’m so honored to call you a collaborator and a friend, and you gave me an opportunity and space for me to be seen. Love you too, bro. Love you to death.”
Sinners received a record 16 nominations and went on to win four Oscars, including Original Screenplay for Coogler and Cinematography for Autumn Durald Arkapaw, who became the first woman to win the category in the history of the Academy Awards. She is also the first person of African American or Filipino descent to win the cinematography award.
The vampire film, set in 1932 in the Mississippi Delta, explores Black culture and survival during the Jim Crow era. It was written and directed by Coogler and produced by Coogler, his wife Zinzi Coogler, and longtime collaborator Sev Ohanian.
Jordan and Coogler first collaborated in 2013 on Fruitvale Station, where Jordan played Oscar Grant, the young man fatally shot by a BART police officer in 2009. They later worked together on the Black Panther films before reuniting again for Sinners.
With the win, Jordan becomes only the sixth Black actor to win an Oscar for Best Actor, joining Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, Jamie Foxx, Forest Whitaker, and Will Smith. Halle Berry remains the only Black woman to have won Best Actress.
Earlier in the ceremony, Sinners also won Best Original Screenplay, marking only the second time a Black writer has won the category, following Jordan Peele for his 2017 film Get Out.
“Please sit down because I’m very nervous, and they’re gonna play me off,” Coogler joked while addressing the audience, which included his parents. “I grew up in Oakland and Richmond, California and we can talk a lot.”
Later in the evening, the audience erupted in cheers when Arkapaw was announced as the winner for Cinematography for Sinners. During her speech, she described Coogler as an “honorable person,” adding, “that’s the kind of guy that I get to make films with.”
She also thanked the women in the room for their support throughout the campaign. “I felt so much love from all the women on this whole campaign and gotten to meet so many people,” she said. “Moments like this happen because of you guys.”
Composer Ludwig Göransson also won the Oscar for Best Original Score for Sinners. In his speech, he described Coogler as one of the “greatest storytellers of our time.” It marked the second time Göransson has won in the category for a collaboration with Coogler, following his 2019 win for Black Panther.
