Ryan Coogler Bags First Oscar As Sinners Wins Best Original Screenplay

 

Filmmaker Ryan Coogler recorded a historic milestone at the Academy Awards on Sunday, winning Best Original Screenplay for his supernatural drama Sinners.

The victory marked Coogler’s first Oscar, following five previous nominations across his career, largely tied to the success of Marvel’s Black Panther franchise.

His triumph also placed him in the history books as only the second Black writer to win the Best Original Screenplay category, after Jordan Peele won for Get Out in 2018.

Coogler’s win came during a remarkable evening for Sinners, which entered the ceremony with 16 nominations, the highest number ever received by a single film in Oscar history.

READ ALSO: Amy Madigan Wins Oscar For Best Supporting Actress As ‘Weapons’ Villain Aunt Gladys

The supernatural horror drama, set in the Jim Crow-era American South, stars Michael B. Jordan and blends vampire mythology with themes rooted in Black cultural history.

The award for Best Original Screenplay was presented by Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans. When the presenters announced, “And the Oscar goes to… Sinners, Ryan Coogler!”, the filmmaker rose to a standing ovation from the audience before taking the stage.

Acceptance Speech

 

A visibly emotional Coogler began his acceptance speech with a light-hearted admission of nerves.

“Please, please, please sit down, ’cause I’m very nervous and they’re gonna play me off,” he said as the applause continued.

The director reflected on the journey behind the project, recalling how he first pitched the screenplay to studios two years earlier as part of a bold package that included directing the film and casting Jordan in the lead role.

Coogler went on to thank his collaborators and family, including a rare public mention of his children. He and his wife, producer Zinzi Coogler, have largely kept their family life out of the spotlight.

He also expressed gratitude to the film’s cast and crew, the studio Warner Bros., and the Academy, describing Sinners as “a love letter to cinema.”

The speech echoed themes he had previously raised during awards season, particularly the importance of writing with love and purpose.

Beyond its awards recognition, Sinners has also proven a major commercial success, grossing approximately $368 million worldwide. The film’s blend of genre storytelling, social history and cinematic spectacle has drawn widespread critical praise.

Later in the ceremony, Sinners added more accolades, including Best Cinematography for Autumn Durald Arkapaw and Best Original Score for Ludwig Göransson.

Although filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another dominated several other categories, including Adapted Screenplay, Coogler’s victory was widely viewed as a significant win for original storytelling within major studio filmmaking.