The 98th Academy Awards are in the books after doling out Hollywood’s highest honors to a select few. In terms of nominations, Sinners led the pack with a record-breaking 16. The film did not have the sweep that many fans desired (myself included), and that’s a whole other story. However, Sinners won four awards in key categories and continued to make history. Cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw became the first woman, first Black person, and first Filipina to win for Best Cinematography, a well-deserved honor. And hearts swelled with joy Michael B. Jordan won Best Actor and Ryan Coogler nabbed the Best Original Screenplay Oscar.
It was a monumental night for the duo, who have collaborated for over a decade on films like Black Panther, Creed, and Fruitvale Station. Their story is one of boundless trust, brotherhood, and a true passion for their crafts, a soulmate connection that led them to this moment. Their wins were also a major cultural touchpoint for horror as an oft-overlooked, dismissed, and underrated genre when it comes to major awards.
Ryan Coogler is a stellar filmmaker, a true visionary and creative genius whose name will become synonymous with legendary storytelling. He continues to rise to new heights while never abandoning his integrity and humility, always showing up as his most authentic self.
Ryan’s win for his original screenplay resonates loudly in a creative landscape where uninspired reboots, remakes, and AI generated content are encroaching on spaces that should be open to originality and putting human creativity first. His brilliant and bold foray into horror with Sinners is a direct reflection of the genre at its core.
Horror ultimately serves as a mirror to our society, examining our collective fears and traumas, socioeconomic strife, and deepest anxieties and turning them into physical manifestations. And yes, that includes vampires who wish to siphon from Black people and our creativity. For this kind of story to receive Oscar recognition and the overall love it has gotten throughout the awards season is a reminder that horror will continue to be a mainstay and a critical piece of entertainment. It builds upon the foundation for this modern class of horror laid by Jordan Peele with Get Out, which also won this award in 2018.
Michael B. Jordan’s roles as Smoke, Stack, and the vampire version of Stack (yep, that counts too!) were well deserving of the Best Actor Award. It’s a category where nominations for horror films are incredibly slim. In fact, there have only been two horror wins for Best Actor: Anthony Hopkins for Silence of the Lambs in 1992 and now Michael B. Jordan for Sinners in 2026. It recognizes the intense emotional, physical, and soul work that is poured into so many horror films, especially those with complex thematic narratives.
To make a character’s fears, losses, and rage feel palpable is no easy feat, and to do it in multiple roles takes a special thespian. Michael is really HIM in every sense of the word and, like Coogler, operates from a place of continuous respect for his peers/collaborators, kindness, and fervent dedication to making a project the best it can be.
Does this mean that the #OscarsSoWhite sentiment is fading? No, it does not. Sinners deserved even more than what it received, and many of the night’s big winners were indeed white. But, it is a win for horror as the genre continues to find more space in the big awards leagues where it belongs. May everything that Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan touch turn to gold.