A major Oscar bellwether has thrown a surefire best actor win into doubt as Michael B. Jordan took a surprise victory at the 2026 Actor Awards for his dual-leading role in Sinners.
Film News Blitz’s Dan Lawrence takes a look at what this means for the Oscars.
‘Sinners’ takes the big spoils at the 2026 Actor Awards
Director Ryan Coogler’s vampire flick has received a record-breaking 16 Oscar nominations this year, including for Jordan in the best actor category, which many have felt has been reserved for Timothée Chalamet’s turn in Marty Supreme.
But SAG-AFTRA’s renamed Actor Awards opted for Jordan over Chalamet, who also missed out on a BAFTA to Britain’s Robert Aramayo last month.
“I don’t even – I don’t even know where to begin, um… I wasn’t expecting this at all,” Jordan said when accepting the award during Netflix’s broadcast.
A humble speech also touched upon Coogler, with whom Jordan has struck an incredible director/actor partnership.
Thanking the Sinners director, Jordan said, “[thank-you] for giving me the opportunity to show what I can do, and to be fearless, and to create a safe space for us to find the truth, like you do with all the other actors that we had the opportunity to work with.”
Jordan’s win is a bump in the road for Chalamet, and could see a genuine competition for the best actor prize at this year’s Oscars.
Sinners also won the award for best ensemble, which could put a dent in One Battle After Another’s ascension to best picture at the Oscars.
Paul Thomas Anderson’s film has swept the other guild awards; Writers, Directors, and Producers, the latter of which has accurately predicted best picture at the Oscars for five years running.
However, SAG-AFTRA, the largest voting body within the Academy Awards, has matched the PGA on three of those occasions.
The last time SAG differed from both the DGA and PGA was in 2020, when Parasite took the acting ensemble honours en route to best picture at the Oscars.
Could Sinners create an upset this year and follow in Parasite’s wake?
Elsewhere, Jessie Buckley’s awards onslaught continued with SAG-AFTRA giving her the nod in the best actress category for her peerless work in Hamnet.
Meanwhile, Sean Penn won best supporting actor for One Battle After Another, following up his BAFTA win, while Weapons’ Amy Madigan won best supporting actress.
Harrison Ford was also an emotional recipient of a lifetime achievement award, recognising his legendary contribution to acting in Hollywood cinema.
“I’m indeed a lucky guy,” Ford said.
“Lucky to have found my people. Lucky to have work that challenges me.
“Lucky to still be doing it. And I don’t take that for granted.”
Finally, for film, the Actor Awards handed out the best stunt ensemble prize to Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning.
The TV winners at the 2026 Actor Awards
For television, it was a likely story as HBO’s medical drama, The Pitt, picked up two awards (best drama series ensemble and best actor – drama for Noah Wyle).
In television comedy, Apple’s incredible swipe at the film industry, The Studio picked up three awards.
Those were for best ensemble, best actor for Seth Rogen and a poignant, posthumous award in the best actress category for the late, great Catherine O’Hara.
Accepting the award on O’Hara’s behalf, a solemn Rogen said, “We were lucky that we got to live in a world where she so generously shared her talents with us.”
Youngster Owen Cooper also picked up another award as best actor in a limited series for his chilling turn in Netflix’s Adolescence.
What impact do you think the 2026 Actor Awards will have on the Oscars?
READ NEXT – BAFTA Awards 2026: ‘One Battle After Another’ wins best picture
The winners and nominees from the 2026 Actor Awards
Film
Best ensemble cast
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sinners (Winner)
Best actor
Timothée Chalamet, Marty Supreme
Leonardo DiCaprio, One Battle After Another
Ethan Hawke, Blue Moon
Michael B. Jordan, Sinners (Winner)
Jesse Plemons, Bugonia
Best actress
Jessie Buckley, Hamnet (Winner)
Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Kate Hudson, Song Sung Blue
Chase Infiniti, One Battle After Another
Emma Stone, Bugonia
Best supporting actor
Miles Caton, Sinners
Benicio Del Toro, One Battle After Another
Jacob Elordi, Frankenstein
Paul Mescal, Hamnet
Sean Penn, One Battle After Another (Winner)
Best supporting actress
Odessa A’zion, Marty Supreme
Ariana Grande, Wicked: For Good
Amy Madigan, Weapons (Winner)
Wunmi Mosaku, Sinners
Teyana Taylor, One Battle After Another
Best stunt ensemble – film
F1
Frankenstein
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (Winner)
One Battle After Another
Sinners
TV
Best drama series ensemble
The Diplomat
Landman
The Pitt (Winner)
Severance
The White Lotus
Best comedy series ensemble
Abbott Elementary
The Bear
Hacks
Only Murders in the Building
The Studio (Winner)
Best actor – drama
Sterling K. Brown, Paradise
Billy Crudup, The Morning Show
Walton Goggins, The White Lotus
Gary Oldman, Slow Horses
Noah Wyle, The Pitt (Winner)
Best actress – drama
Britt Lower, Severance
Parker Posey, The White Lotus
Keri Russell, The Diplomat (Winner)
Rhea Seehorn, Pluribus
Aimee Lou Wood, The White Lotus
Best actor – comedy
Ike Barinholtz, The Studio
Adam Brody, Nobody Wants This
Ted Danson, Inside Man
Seth Rogen, The Studio (Winner)
Martin Short, Only Murders in the Building
Best actress – comedy
Kathryn Hahn, The Studio
Catherine O’Hara, The Studio (Winner)
Jenna Ortega, Wednesday
Jean Smart, Hacks
Kristen Wiig, Palm Royale
Best actor – limited series
Jason Bateman, Black Rabbit
Owen Cooper, Adolescence (Winner)
Stephen Graham, Adolescence
Charlie Hunnam, Monster: The Ed Gein Story
Matthew Rhys, The Beast In Me
Best actress – limited series
Claire Danes, The Beast In Me
Erin Doherty, Adolescence
Sarah Snook, All Her Fault
Christine Tremarco, Adolescence
Michelle Williams, Dying For Sex (Winner)
Best stunt ensemble – TV
Andor
Landman
The Last of Us (Winner)
Squid Game
Stranger Things
