An actor who plays not only twins, but the eternal version of one of these brothers. A woman grapples with the loss of a child and uses hoodoo to heal others — often at her own expense. A child who emerges a man after the most harrowing night of his life.
These are the characters embodied by Michael B. Jordan, Wunmi Mosaku and Miles Caton in Sinners. The three were nominated for Male Actor in a Leading Role in a Motion Picture, Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture, and Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture, respectively, at the 32nd Annual Actors Awards (formerly known as The SAG Awards). Sinners also received the Cast for a Motion Picture nomination. But will Jordan and Mosaku be fully rewarded for their efforts as the award season rages on?
Sinner has been a juggernaut at the box office and received critical praise across the board. But only took home the Young Performer actor award for newcomer Miles Caton and the newly announced casting director award, despite individual nominations for Jordan and Mosaku, who play estranged lovers on screen.
Often considered the litmus test for whether a film and its cast can win at upcoming competitions, including this weekend’s Golden Globes and the 98th Annual Academy Awards in March, people are bracing themselves for the grim reality that Sinners won’t get its due. Although it should be noted that Critics Choice Association for Black Cinema and Television honored the Ryan Coogler-helmed film with its Director Award at its December 2025 ceremony.
From the moment it entered the movie scene, it seemed to be an agenda to tear Sinners down, starting with a Variety post that reported the movie’s strong opening, but added the unnecessary statement that the film still had a way to go to justify its $90 million price tag, a statement not deemed for lesser box-office performing films.
With its comment, Variety, part of Penske Media — which also has a stake in the Golden Globes — unveiled the systemic discomfort with films that challenge the status quo of what is expected to excel.
The truth is that Sinners, a Black-led ensemble horror movie, has entered a heightened state of cinematic consciousness. It’s earned nearly $400 million at the box office. It has spawned a Sinners movie syllabus, created by Jemar Tisby and Dr. Keisha Blain, that examines the film’s dive into Southern culture, race, horror, religion, music, and myth. And it unabashedly depicts Black love and sexuality on screen. Sinners readily reveals the gap between financial success and critical acclaim, an embrace readily given by audiences, but still resisted by institutions that are supposed to recognize film greatness.
At EBONY, we’ve always seen the cultural significance of Sinners: Coogler controlling the narrative of how Black people are portrayed in the horror allegory. His reclamation of ownership of Sinners from Warner Bros in 2050, giving full control over the stories we tell. Creating a film that speaks to people of all ages, races, and backgrounds with a story steeped in music and the mystical.
And with that, Sinners doesn’t need to win awards. Because it’s already won in the public eye.