Michael B. Jordan secured a surprise win at the Actor Awards on Sunday night, taking home the prize for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role for his work in Sinners. The victory came as a surprise given the presence of established stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Timothée Chalamet among the nominees.
The announcement was made by actress Viola Davis, who visibly expressed her enthusiasm. Jordan was embraced by Sinners co-star Delroy Lindo and his mother before taking the stage.
“I wasn’t expecting this at all,” Jordan said, visibly moved. “I’m so honored and privileged to be nominated in categories with people, actors and humans that I love. And I love their work and what you contribute to our craft. This ride has been unbelievable. So thank you for welcoming me in and making me feel seen. Ya’ll know how I feel about y’all.”
Jordan reflected on his early career aspirations, recalling his desire to become a member of SAG-AFTRA. “I thought it was this club I wanted to be in so bad,” he explained. “I remember watching all the other actors that I looked up to being a part of that club, being a part of SAG-AFTRA, being a part of this community. And I was like, ‘Man, I want to be that one day.’” He described envisioning his fellow actors “on stage with the awards and nice suits being in fancy places like that.” “That’s what I always wanted,” Jordan said. “That kid from North Jersey is standing here right now.”
He extended gratitude to his mother for her unwavering support, recounting the sacrifices she made to facilitate his early auditions. “Thank you for driving me back and forth to New York when we didn’t have enough money to head through the Holland Tunnel, when we were looking for gas money, parking spaces, when I went up there for my auditions.”
Jordan likewise acknowledged filmmaker Ryan Coogler, with whom he has collaborated on multiple projects, and his Sinners castmates. “I want to thank you, Ryan Coogler, for giving me the opportunity to show what I can do, and to be fearless and to create a safe space for us to find the truth,” Jordan said. “Thank you for allowing me to do my best work. Just being in this room right now with all these people who have seen me grow up in front of the camera and in these rooms I feel the love and support that you’ve always given me and encouraged me to do my best, so I just want to say thank you.”
Later in the evening, Sinners received a second award, winning Outstanding Performance by a Cast. Delroy Lindo led the acceptance of the award, noting that it marked the second time a film directed by Coogler had received the honor, following the cast of Black Panther in 2019.
“Every single day we brought ourselves, we brought our hearts, we brought our souls, we brought our spirits to this endeavor,” Lindo said. “To be recognized by you all, thank you does not even initiate to encompass the gratitude that we feel.”
The win for Sinners followed a controversy at the 2026 BAFTA Awards the previous week. During the presentation of the award for Best Special Visual Effects, actors Jordan and Lindo were subjected to a racial slur shouted by John Davidson, an activist with Tourette’s syndrome. The BBC’s broadcast of the ceremony failed to censor the slur, prompting criticism. Davidson subsequently issued a private apology to Jordan and Lindo. Lindo publicly addressed the incident at the NAACP Image Awards on Saturday, stating, “We appreciate all the support and the love that we have been shown in the aftermath of what happened last weekend. It means a lot to us.”
