New Hollywood
When the film industry gathers for its annual night of self-congratulation, the ceremony is usually remembered for glamour, spectacle and predictable triumphs. Yet the latest Academy Awards told a different story.
At the 2026 BAFTA Film Awards, Ryan Coogler became the first Black filmmaker to win the award for Best Original Screenplay, and he won it for ‘Sinners’.
Taking the stage amid thunderous applause, he admitted he hadn’t expected the win. “This is nerve-wracking,” he said. Then he got heartfelt: “I come from a community that loves me. They made me believe that I could do this… For all the writers out there, when y’all look at that blank page, think of who you love, think of anybody you’ve seen in pain… and let that love motivate you.”
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Also Read: Sinners music honours Black voices through blues and jazz; what awards mean for artists rising from oppression
The tough competition
Coogler beat a tough lineup of contenders, including “I Swear” by Kirk Jones, “Marty Supreme” by Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie, “The Secret Agent” by Kleber Mendonça Filho, and “Sentimental Value” by Eskil Vogt and Joachim Trier.
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Oscar buzz for ‘Sinners’
This win positions Coogler as a major player at the Oscars. He will go head-to-head with two of the same competitors “Marty Supreme” and “Sentimental Value”, plus “Blue Moon” by Robert Kaplow and “It Was Just an Accident” by Mehdi Mahmoudian, Jafar Panahi, Shadmehr Rastin, and Nader Saivar.
History shows Oscars haven’t often recognised Black screenwriters: Jordan Peele remains the only Black winner for Original Screenplay, for “Get Out” in 2017.
Could Coogler be next? Everyone’s eyes are on him.
Sinners breaks records
‘Sinners’ isn’t just winning for writing. The film racked up 13 BAFTA nominations. That makes it the most-nominated film ever directed by a Black filmmaker at the awards.
On top of that, it shattered the all-time Oscars nominations record with 16.
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