In a stunning turn of events during the final stretch before the Oscars, Michael B. Jordan has surged to the forefront of the awards race. The actor took home the trophy for Best Actor at the Actor Awards (formerly known as the Screen Actors Guild Awards) for his role in the vampire horror film Sinners, a victory that few saw coming.
“I don’t even know where to begin, I wasn’t expecting this at all,” Jordan admitted during his acceptance speech, visibly moved. He expressed deep gratitude, stating he felt “so honoured and privileged” just to be counted among the nominees.
The night belonged to the Sinners cast, as they also secured the evening’s most prestigious honor—Best Ensemble Cast. Accepting the award, co-star Delroy Lindo reflected on the film’s creation as an “incredible journey.” He added, “Every single day we brought ourselves, our hearts, our souls, to this endeavour.” Addressing the voting body, Lindo humbly noted, “To be recognised by you all, ‘thank you’ does not come anywhere near to encompassing what we feel, the gratitude.”
This double-win comes just one week after the Bafta Film Awards, where Jordan and Lindo were commended for their grace under pressure. During that ceremony, activist John Davidson, who has Tourette’s syndrome, involuntarily shouted a racial slur while the pair were on stage. Lindo addressed the aftermath at another awards event on Saturday, telling the audience at the NAACP Image Awards, “We appreciate the support and love we have been shown… It’s a classic case of something that could’ve been very negative becoming very positive.”
The Actor Awards also saw victories for Sean Penn (One Battle After Another) and Jessie Buckley (Hamnet). In a surprise twist, Amy Madigan won Best Supporting Actress for Weapons, while Catherine O’Hara received a posthumous award for her work in The Studio.
In a heartfelt moment, Jordan used his speech to honor his mother, Donna, who has been his date throughout awards season. He thanked her for supporting his childhood dreams, recalling, “Mom, thank you for driving me back and forth to New York when we didn’t have enough money to go through the Harlem tunnel, when we were looking for gas money, parking spaces.” He also praised director Ryan Coogler and his fellow cast members, crediting them with creating an environment where he could deliver “my best work.”
Voting for the Actor Awards concluded on Friday, just days after the unsettling incident at the Baftas, making the sweep for Sinners a powerful narrative shift in the final weeks leading up to the Oscars.
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