Michael B. Jordan has won his first Oscar for best actor for his role in Ryan Coogler’s Sinners at the 2026 Oscars on Sunday night.
Jordan looked shocked when last year’s winner, Adrien Brody, announced his name as the winner. The actor hugged his plus one, his mother, before walking to the stage. The win also marked his first Academy Award nomination.
He beat out Timothée Chalamet (Marty Supreme), Leonardo DiCaprio (One Battle After Another), Ethan Hawke (Blue Moon) and Wagner Moura (The Secret Agent).
During his acceptance speech, the actor thanked Sinners director Coogler, his longtime collaborator who he’s worked with on Fruitvale Station, Creed, Black Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. “I’m so honored to call you a collaborator and a friend,” he said. “You gave me the opportunity and space for me to be seen and I love you to death.”
Jordan also name dropped several other Oscar winners he’s admired.
“I stand here because of the people that came before me: Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, Halle Berry, Jamie Foxx, Forest Whitaker and Will Smith,” he said in his speech. “To be amongst those giants, amongst those giants, amongst those greats, amongst my ancestors, amongst my guys. Thank you everybody in this room and everybody at home for supporting me over my career. I feel it.”
“Everybody at home who supported Sinners, who went to go see the movie one, two, three, four, five times, thank you, because you guys made this movie what it is. I love you,” Jordan said.
The horror-thriller film is set in 1930s Mississippi, and Jordan plays twin brothers Smoke and Stack, who return to their hometown and open a juke joint — only to face vampires taking over.
Sinners received a record-breaking 16 nominations at the 2026 Oscars and won four.
The 98th annual Academy Awards were hosted by Conan O’Brien. See the star-studded Oscars red carpet 2026 arrivals and the complete winners list here.
English (US) ·