Michael B. Jordan Wins Best Actor At 2026 Oscars – Essence

The 98th Academy Awards unfolded Sunday evening at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood, where Hollywood gathered to celebrate the year’s most acclaimed films. Among the night’s most talked-about contenders was Sinners, which entered the ceremony with a leading 16 nominations across all categories. By the end of the telecast, the film secured several key wins, including Best Actor for Michael B. Jordan and Best Original Screenplay for director Ryan Coogler, solidifying its place as one of the best films of the year.

One of the evening’s most memorable moments arrived shortly after its opening, when Miles Caton took the stage to perform “I Lied to You,” the Oscar-nominated song from the film. Written by Raphael Saadiq and Ludwig Göransson, Caton opened the number alongside Saadiq before the stage gradually filled with musicians and dancers who helped shape the atmosphere inside the theater. Guitarist Buddy Guy appeared alongside Bobby Rush, Eric Gales, and Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, with Brittany Howard, Shaboozey, and Alice Smith also joined the ensemble. Ballet star Misty Copeland made a notable appearance during the sequence, marking her return to the stage months after announcing her retirement. Members of the Sinners cast, including Jayme Lawson, Li Jun Li, and Jack O’Connell, were also part of the presentation, echoing the film’s most captivating scene.

Behind the camera, the film delivered one of the ceremony’s historic victories when cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw won Best Cinematography. Her win marked the first time a woman had taken home the award in the category’s history, and she also became the first woman of color to receive the honor. During her speech, Arkapaw acknowledged the women who helped shape her journey. “I don’t get here without you guys,” she said, asking the women in the audience to stand in recognition.

Coogler also took home the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, thanking collaborators and the studio team who supported the project. During his acceptance speech, he reflected on the personal sacrifices that come with filmmaking while addressing his children directly. “I apologize for all the time away, memories are all we have and I hope I gave you some great ones,” Coogler said. “And when you’ve been blessed to live a long life and dad just becomes a memory I want you to remember this one thing, I love you more than anything.”

Göransson added another win for the film with the award for Best Original Score.

A huge moment that night happened when Jordan was announced as the winner for Best Actor. In his acceptance speech, the actor thanked his family, collaborators, and peers. He continued by recognizing the studio leaders who backed the project, speaking to “the vision of Ryan Coogler, for betting on the culture, and betting on original ideas, and original artistry.”

Jordan also reflected on the legacy of Black actors who influenced his path. “I stand here because of the people that came before me, Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, Will Smith,” he said. “Thank you everybody in this room and everybody at home for supporting me over my career. I feel it. I know you guys want me to do well and I want to do that because you guys bet on me.”

The ceremony concluded with the final award going to One Battle After Another for Best Picture. The film, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, featured performances from ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood honorees Teyana Taylor, Chase Infiniti, and Regina Hall, among others.

Take a look at the full list of winners at the 98th Academy Awards below.

Best Picture 

BugoniaF1FrankensteinHamnetMarty SupremeOne Battle After Another – WINNERThe Secret AgentSentimental ValueSinnersTrain Dreams

Best Actor 

Timothée Chalamet – Marty SupremeLeonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After AnotherEthan Hawke – Blue MoonMichael B. Jordan – Sinners – WINNERWagner Moura – The Secret Agent

Best Actress 

Jessie Buckley – Hamnet – WINNERRose Byrne – If I Had Legs I’d Kick YouKate Hudson – Song Sung BlueRenate Reinsve – Sentimental ValueEmma Stone – Bugonia

Best Supporting Actor 

Benicio del Toro – One Battle After AnotherJacob Elordi – FrankensteinDelroy Lindo – SinnersSean Penn – One Battle After Another – WINNERStellan Skarsgård – Sentimental Value

Best Supporting Actress 

Elle Fanning – Sentimental ValueInga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – Sentimental ValueAmy Madigan – Weapons – WINNERWunmi Mosaku – SinnersTeyana Taylor – One Battle After Another

Best Director 

Chloé Zhao – HamnetJosh Safdie – Marty SupremePaul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another – WINNERJoachim Trier – Sentimental ValueRyan Coogler – Sinners

Best Original Screenplay 

Blue MoonIt Was Just an AccidentMarty SupremeSentimental ValueSinners – WINNER

Best Adapted Screenplay 

BugoniaFrankensteinHamnetOne Battle After Another – WINNERTrain Dreams

Best Animated Feature Film 

ArcoElioKPop Demon Hunters – WINNERLittle Amélie or the Character of RainZootopia 2

Best International Feature Film 

The Secret Agent – BrazilIt Was Just an Accident – FranceSentimental Value – Norway – WINNERSirât – SpainThe Voice of Hind Rajab – Tunisia

Best Casting 

HamnetMarty SupremeOne Battle After Another – WINNERThe Secret AgentSinners

Best Cinematography 

FrankensteinMarty SupremeOne Battle After AnotherSinners – WINNERTrain Dreams

Best Production Design 

Frankenstein – WINNERHamnetMarty SupremeOne Battle After AnotherSinners

Best Editing 

F1Marty SupremeOne Battle After Another – WINNERSentimental ValueSinners

Best Original Score 

BugoniaFrankensteinHamnetOne Battle After AnotherSinners – WINNER

Best Original Song 

“Dear Me” – Diane Warren: Relentless“Golden” – KPop Demon Hunters – WINNER“I Lied to You” – Sinners“Sweet Dreams of Joy” – Viva Verdi!“Train Dreams” – Train Dreams

Best Sound 

F1 – WINNERFrankensteinOne Battle After AnotherSinnersSirât

Best Visual Effects 

Avatar: Fire and Ash – WINNERF1Jurassic World RebirthThe Lost BusSinners

Best Makeup and Hairstyling 

Frankenstein – WINNERKokuhoSinnersThe Smashing MachineThe Ugly Stepsister

Best Costume Design 

Avatar: Fire and AshFrankenstein – WINNERHamnetMarty SupremeSinners

Best Animated Short Film 

ButterflyForevergreenThe Girl Who Cried Pearls – WINNERRetirement PlanThe Three Sisters

Best Live-Action Short Film 

Butcher’s StainA Friend of DorothyJane Austen’s Period DramaThe Singers – WINNER (TIE)Two People Exchanging Saliva – WINNER (TIE)

Best Documentary Feature Film 

The Alabama SolutionCome See Me in the Good LightCutting Through RocksMr. Nobody Against Putin – WINNERThe Perfect Neighbor

Best Documentary Short 

All the Empty Rooms – WINNERArmed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent RenaudChildren No More: “Were and Are Gone”The Devil Is BusyPerfectly a Strangeness