To say that Ryan Coogler’s Sinners leads the pack in this year’s Oscar race is clearly an understatement. On January 22, the horror epic earned 16 Academy Award nominations, the most ever for a single film, breaking a record that had stood for decades. The list included Best Picture, Best Director for Coogler, acting nods for Michael B. Jordan, Delroy Lindo, and Wunmi Mosaku, plus recognition across screenplay and production categories. But Oscar history, especially for Black films and performers, suggests that nominations don’t always translate into victories.
The attention around Sinners follows a surprisingly lackluster showing on the awards circuit. Amidst commercial and critical acclaim, the movie didn’t achieve wins in the larger categories. At the Critics Choice Awards, it received four wins, and at the Golden Globes, it came out with only two awards. Jordan, who many feel had his magnum opus with this portrayal of the twins, left without an acting trophy in both ceremonies; a familiar pattern for actors of color.
Unfortunately, overlooked nods and lack of wins have come to define the Academy’s relationship with Black storytelling over the years. In 1985, The Color Purple received 11 nominations and didn’t win a single Oscar. Denzel Washington’s powerful performance as the titular character in Spike Lee’s Malcolm X is still cited as one of the most glaring Best Actor losses, especially with the narrative that Al Pacino won it that year more for his body of work, rather than his effort in Scent of a Woman. Pam Grier carried Jackie Brown yet wasn’t nominated, while her co-star Robert Forster was. John Singleton made history with Boyz n the Hood as the youngest (and first African American) Best Director nominee, he also went home empty-handed.
More recent examples include projects like Creed and Straight Outta Compton, which connected with viewers and critics alike, but were largely shut out of the top races, helping spark the #OscarsSoWhite conversation. Viola Davis and Danielle Deadwyler delivered widely praised performances in The Woman King and Till, respectively, only to be ignored on nomination morning. Jordan Peele’s Nope also missed across major categories despite strong reviews. Additionally, Cynthia Erivo, who plays Elphaba in Wicked: For Good, was shut out of any nominations for the 2026 Academy Award as well.
With sixteen nominations, it clearly shows that the Academy is paying attention, but what remains uncertain is whether voters are willing to follow through when it really counts. For filmmakers and actors who have watched similar moments pass them by, the distinction of having “Academy Award Winner” in front of their name carries weight. Yes, a nomination acknowledges the work, but a win cements it in history. As this year’s ceremony approaches on March 15, we all know that Sinners deserves the accolades. Only time will tell if it gets its just due.