An incredible win at the star-studded 98th Academy Awards came for Michael B. Jordan. After building an impressive resume over the years, the actor stepped onto the Oscar 2026 stage to accept the Best Actor award for his performance in Sinners, while his co-star proudly cheered him on. With this win, Jordan also became the sixth man to achieve this remarkable milestone. 

Holding the golden statuette in his hands and taking in the magnitude of the moment, Jordan did not forget to honor the five legendary actors who paved the way before him.

Addressing the excited crowd before him, Michael B. Jordan expressed his heartfelt gratitude to God and acknowledged his family, the entire cast, crew, and the film’s director, Ryan Coogler. But before that, he made sure to pay homage to those who won the honor before him, Sidney Poitier (1964), Denzel Washington (2002), Jamie Foxx (2005), Forest Whitaker (2007), and Will Smith (2022).

"I stand here because of the people who came before me. Sydney Poitier, Denzel Washington, Halle Berry, Jamie Fox, Forest Whitaker, Will Smith, to be amongst those giants, amongst those greats, amongst my ancestors, amongst my gods, thank to you everyone here and everyone at home who has supported me and my career,” he said.

His entire family was present for the special occasion. His parents, Donna and Michael A. Jordan, were in attendance to support the actor during his first-ever Oscar nomination and win at the Academy Awards. He had stiff competition in the category, going up against Leonardo DiCaprio and Wagner Moura. 

His Oscar win is followed by Jordan’s earlier victory at the Actors Awards. His powerful performance also made him the second actor to win the Academy Award for portraying twin roles. Now, not just for Michael B. Jordan, it was also an incredible night for Coogler. 

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Despite the heartbreaking sting of missing out in two major categories, the director still has plenty to celebrate thanks to his first Oscar win.

Ryan Coogler has been making history with his film Sinners, and he did it again by winning his first Oscar in the Best Original Screenplay category for the movie. He became the second director to receive the honor after Jordan Peele won the award for Get Out. However, both directors were unable to win the Best Director award.

Coogler’s Sinners was also nominated for the Best Picture category, which was won by One Battle After Another. These two were perhaps among the most heartbreaking near-misses for the film. But while Sinners may have been snubbed in these two categories, it clearly made a powerful impact on its audiences and the industry alike.

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What do you think about Michael B. Jordan's heartwarming speech? Let us know in the comments.