- Sinners won Outstanding Performance by a Cast, making director Ryan Coogler the first to lead two ensemble winners.
- Michael B. Jordan’s surprise win for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role was an emotional moment.
- The awards are seen as a key indicator of industry sentiment, often aligning with the Academy’s top honors.
Sinners dominated at The Actor Awards on Sunday, March 1, taking home the ceremony’s biggest awards and making history along the way with a splendidly surprising (Smoke & Stack) sweep!
The 2026 Actor Awards–previously known as the Screen Actors Guild Awards–rebranded this year, using the show’s new name to align with its iconic statuette “The Actor” and emphasize its focus on actors honoring fellow actors. The show delivered on that promise during its first year under its new name, delivering one of the most exciting nights of the awards season thus far.
Just two weeks before the Academy is set to hand out its awards on March 15, The Actor Awards shook up the Oscars race. Voted on by members of SAG-AFTRA, the awards are often viewed as a key indicator of industry sentiment, historically aligning closely with the Academy’s top honors.
This year, the narrative shifted. While One Battle After Another was the favorite to win prior to the ceremony, the night actually belonged to Sinners and its leading man, Michael B. Jordan.
The film, written and directed by Ryan Coogler, took the top film prize of the night: Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. All five nominees in that category are also up for Best Picture at the Oscars, which could mean the cast has a similar trajectory at the upcoming show. The victory also made Coogler the first director to lead two ensemble winners at the Actor Awards, which comes following his earlier win with 2019’s Black Panther.
While accepting the ensemble award, Delroy Lindo highlighted the film’s impact in spiritual terms, saying, “This project is anointed.”
“From that standpoint, we’re all anointed to be a part of this incredible journey, created by the genius of Ryan Coogler.” He continued. “Every single day we brought ourselves, our hearts, our souls, to this endeavor. To be recognized by you all, ‘thank you’ does not come anywhere near to encompassing what we feel, the gratitude.”
Jordan’s win for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role was a huge surprise, with many industry experts expecting Timothée Chalamet to continue his streak in the category after earlier awards shows. Instead, Viola Davis gleefully presented the award to Jordan, who received a standing ovation before choking up during his passionate acceptance speech.
He used his time onstage to shoutout his mother, who attended the show with him.
“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 said before going on to thank Coogler and the cast: “Everybody that had something to do with this movie, you gave us your time and your talents and vulnerability and allowed me to do my best work.”
Check out the full list of winners from the 2026 Actors Awards below:
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A CAST IN A MOTION PICTURE
Sinners (Warner Bros)
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Michael B. Jordan, Sinners
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Jessie Buckley, Hamnet
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Amy Madigan, Weapons
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Sean Penn, One Battle After Another
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN ENSEMBLE IN A DRAMA SERIES
The Pitt (HBO Max)
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A TELEVISION MOVIE OR LIMITED SERIES
Owen Cooper, Adolescence
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN ENSEMBLE IN A COMEDY SERIES
The Studio (Apple TV)
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Noah Wyle, The Pitt
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Catherine O’Hara, The Studio
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A TELEVISION MOVIE OR LIMITED SERIES
Michelle Williams, Dying For Sex
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Seth Rogen, The Studio
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Keri Russell, The Diplomat
OUTSTANDING STUNT ENSEMBLE IN A TELEVISION SERIES
The Last of Us (HBO)
OUTSTANDING STUNT ENSEMBLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (Paramount)
SAG-AFTRA Life Achievement Award
Harrison Ford
