Ryan Coogler has been rewriting Hollywood’s rules from the very beginning. In 2013, he was an emerging film director who took the risk of bringing Oscar Grant’s story to the screen with “Fruitvale Station.” In a mere five movies, Coogler has used filmmaking as a vehicle to shift culture. His latest, the supernatural Southern gothic epic “Sinners,” didn’t just dominate the 2026 Oscar nominations; it made history. This morning (Thursday, January 22) it was announced that the film earned a staggering 16 nods, the most ever received by a single film.
Coogler has been ascending since he first shook the industry with “Fruitvale Station,” but it was “Black Panther” that transformed him from a promising young director into a cultural architect. Wakanda wasn’t just a place; it was a possibility.
At the center of Coogler’s creative universe is Michael B. Jordan — his artistic counterpart, his cinematic twin flame. From “Fruitvale Station” to “Creed” to “Black Panther,” it’s as if the two have a partnership where they’ve been telling stories together across lifetimes.
With “Sinners,” Jordan steps into his most ambitious Coogler role yet: twin brothers Smoke and Stack, navigating a 1930s Mississippi juke joint haunted by forces both supernatural and all too human. The dual roles earned Jordan his first Oscar nomination.
This year’s Oscars aren’t just historic for Coogler — they’re historic for Black Hollywood as a whole. Alongside Jordan’s nomination, Sinners also earned nods for Delroy Lindo (Best Supporting Actor) and Wunmi Mosaku (Best Supporting Actress), expanding the film’s already monumental footprint.
Black talent is threaded throughout the nominee list —including Teyana Taylor. Her “Best Supporting Actress” nomination is fresh on the heels of her Golden Globe win in the same category for her stunning performance alongside Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn and Regina Hall in Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another.”
Black nominees appear in categories that historically shut us out: screenwriting, score, production design, documentary, and animation. For her work on Sinners, Academy Award-winning costume designer Ruth E. Carter earned her fifth Oscar nomination. With the nod she becomes the most Oscar‑nominated Black woman in the Academy’s 98‑year history. In nearly a century of the Oscars, no Black woman has been recognized more times. Not in acting. Not in writing. Not in directing.
And through “Sinners,” Coogler did what he has always done: taken the weight of Black history, Black fear, Black joy, Black imagination — and spun it into something that feels both ancient and brand new. Sinners’ 16 nods are more cultural landmarks than personal achievements.
The film is on brand for Coogler and his commitment to expanding the frame of Black storytelling through cinema. His work is a declaration that the Black experience — in all its complexity, terror, beauty, and brilliance — belongs at the center.
The 98th Annual Academy Awards will air on Sunday, March 15 on ABC and will stream on Hulu.