Michael B. Jordan won the Actor Award for best actor on Sunday night for his role in Sinners.
Jordan, who stars as twins in Ryan Coogler’s Warner Bros. film, hugged his mother and took to the stage to accept the award. “I wasn’t expecting that. I’m so honored and privileged to be nominated in categories with people and actors and humans that I love, and I love their work and what they contribute to our craft and this rise has been unbelievable,” he said. So, thank you for welcoming me in and making me feel seen.”
The 39-year-old continued to address the crowd, saying, “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 do that one day.’ So I remember when I got my SAG-AFTRA card, I was like, ‘Man, I’m like an entry-level member and those guys that were on stage with the awards and the nice suits and going to fancy places like that, that’s what I always wanted. And that kid from North New Jersey is standing here right now. Mom, thank you for driving me back and forth to New York when we didn’t have enough money to go through the Holland Tunnel … when I went up there for my auditions, thank you.”
He continued, “I want to say thank you to 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 with what you do with all the other actors that we had the opportunity to work.”
“Just being in this room right now with all these people who see 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 go on and do my best,” Jordan added. “So, I just want to say thank you.”
At the 2026 Actor Awards (formerly known as the SAG Awards), Jordan was nominated alongside Ethan Hawke (Blue Moon), Timothée Chalamet (Marty Supreme), Jesse Plemons (Bugonia) and Leonardo DiCaprio (One Battle After Another), who did not attend the ceremony because he is currently filming Martin Scorsese’s What Happens at Night, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed.
Jordan’s win marks his first win at the Actor Awards. Last year, Chalamet took home the prize for best actor for playing Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown.
In Chalamet’s speech, which quickly went viral, he said he wanted to be one of the greats. “I know we’re in a subjective business, but the truth is I’m really in pursuit of greatness. I know people don’t usually talk like that, but I want to be one of the greats. I’m inspired by the greats,” he said. “I’m as inspired by Daniel Day-Lewis, Marlon Brando and Viola Davis as I am by Michael Jordan, Michael Phelps, and I want to be up there.”
Up next, Jordan is nominated at the Oscars on March 15 for best actor. This is also his first Academy Award nomination.
Shortly after Jordan found out he scored a nom, he spoke with THR about what the recognition meant to him and who the first person he called was.
“My mom was my first call. It was great. A lot of tears and the reason why I’m even in this industry and why I’m acting at all — why that was even an idea. To talk to the woman who started it all first meant the world,” he said.
He also shared his reaction to Sinners being the most nominated film of all time with 16 noms. “It’s really a testament to the film as a whole and all the pieces involved and the people that went to go see this movie and watched this film,” Jordan said. “It meant something to them and they felt something — to see how it resonated throughout the year with people, man.”
The 32nd annual Actor Awards was held at the Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall in Los Angeles with Kristen Bell as the host. See the full list of 2026 Actor Awards winners here and all of the red carpet arrivals here.
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