While “Sinners” unfortunately didn’t walk away with a slew of wins at the 2026 Oscars on Sunday, the film still wound up taking the top prize in some of the biggest categories of the night! If you were somehow unable to catch things live, let us break down some of the biggest, Blackest moments of the night!
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BEST: Ryan Coogler Finally Takes Home the Gold
While Ryan Coogler was sadly snubbed for the Best Director category, he was able to snag the expected win for Best Original Screenplay for “Sinners.” With this feat, he becomes the second Black person to ever win in that category, alongside fellow filmmaker Jordan Peele. In his acceptance speech, he thanked his wife Zinzi, producing partner Sev Ohanian, and championed his cast and begged them to stand up to get their deserved recognition.
WORST: Delroy Lindo, Wunmi Mosaku and Teyana Taylor Fail to Get Recognized
Despite their buzzy performances, “Sinners” stars Delroy Lindo and Wunmi Mosaku and “One Battle After Another” star Teyana Taylor were all snubbed in the Best Supporting Acting categories. While all the actors gracefully accepted their loss, Lindo’s face perfectly captured how disappointed folks at home were feeling, as evidenced by this viral post to X/Twitter.
BEST: Michael B. Jordan’s Dual Roles Cement Him in Oscars History
While the Best Actor category was stacked this year with people like Leonardo DiCaprio and Timothée Chalamet vying for the win, Michael B. Jordan emerged as the winner. Earning the gold, he made history as the sixth Black man to receive the honor. Past winners include fellow greats like Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, Will Smith, Jamie Foxx, and Forest Whitaker. In his acceptance speech, he thanked the aforementioned stars, shouted out his mother and received a standing ovation from the crowd.
Watch his inspiring, full speech below.
WORST: Ruth Carter Oscar-Winning Streak Comes to a Halt
Even though Ruth Carter made history as the most-winning Black woman at the Oscars and many expected to walk away with the gold for her costume design work, she sadly wasn’t selected as the winner. The gold instead went to Kate Hawley for “Frankenstein.”
BEST: Autumn Durald Arkapaw Makes History
“Sinners” cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw made history by becoming the first woman, first Black woman and first woman of color to win a Best Cinematography Oscar. In her acceptance speech, she shouted out her son, collaborator Ryan Coogler, and asked all the women in the room to stand up in recognition of their efforts behind the scenes.
WORST: “Sinners” Came Up Short for Best Picture
Now, to be fair “Sinners” and “One Battle After Another” were going back and forth all awards season. Yet and still, a lot of last minute predictions and pundits were pulling for the Coogler-directed film to get the big win. However, when it was all said and done, it was “OBAA” that wound up getting the gold.
BEST: “Sinners” Comes Alive Onstage
In one of the best moments of the night, Miles Caton, Jayme Lawson, and other cast members recreated the “surreal montage,” musical moment from the film with the former singing “I Lied to You.” Artists like Shaboozey, Raphael Saadiq, Alice Smith, along with DJ D-Nice and Misty Copeland, brought their signature flair to the performance, garnering a thunderous round of applause and a standing ovation from the crowd.
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