“Sinners” star Michael B. Jordan won the best actor Oscar Sunday night at the 98th Academy Awards, beating out a crowded field that included Timothée Chalamet and Leonardo DiCaprio.
Jordan’s best actor win for “Sinners” marks his first-ever Academy Award.
The Newark, New Jersey, native thanked the director of “Sinners,” Oscar winner Ryan Coogler, calling him an “amazing person.”
Michael B. Jordan wins the Oscar for Best Actor for ‘Sinners’ at the 98th Academy Awards, March 15, 2026 in Hollywood, Calif.
Mike Blake/Reuters
“I’m so honored to call you a collaborator and a friend, and you gave me the opportunity and space for me to be seen, and I love you, too, bro, love you to death,” Jordan said to Coogler, who was in the audience at the Dolby Theatre.
Jordan went on to acknowledge the Black Oscar winners who came before him, including Halle Berry, Sidney Poitier and more.
Michael B. Jordan accepts the Actor in a Leading Role award for “Sinners” at the 98th Academy Awards, March 15, 2026 in Hollywood, Calif.
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
With his best actor win, Jordan joins other Black male actors Jamie Foxx, Sidney Poitier, Will Smith, Denzel Washington and Forrest Whitaker.
Later in his speech, Jordan thanked his family, including his mom, who has been his date to many awards show this season, as well as his dad, whom he said traveled from Ghana for the show.
He also thanked his brother and sister, who also walked with him, alongside their parents, at the Oscars.
He finished with a message of gratitude for his supporters, saying, “Thank you for … betting on me, and I’m going to keep stepping up, and I’m going to keep being the best version of myself I can be.”
