{"id":222436,"date":"2026-03-16T18:43:09","date_gmt":"2026-03-16T18:43:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/222436\/"},"modified":"2026-03-16T18:43:09","modified_gmt":"2026-03-16T18:43:09","slug":"sinners-wins-four-oscars-oaklands-ryan-coogler-his-first","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/222436\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Sinners\u2019 wins four Oscars, Oakland\u2019s Ryan Coogler his first"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Ryan<\/p>\n

Ryan Coogler, winner of\u00a0the award for writing (original screenplay) for \u201cSinners, \u201d poses in\u00a0the press room at\u00a0the Oscars on\u00a0Sunday, March 15, 2026, at\u00a0the Dolby Theatre in\u00a0Los Angeles.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Jordan Strauss\/Associated Press\"Ryan<\/p>\n

Ryan Coogler accepts the award for original screenplay for \u201cSinners\u201d during the Oscars on Sunday, March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n

Chris Pizzello\/Associated Press\"Swedish<\/p>\n

Swedish composer Ludwig Goransson accepts the award for best music (original score) for \u201cSinners\u201d onstage during the 98th Annual Academy Awards at\u00a0the Dolby Theatre in\u00a0Hollywood on\u00a0Sunday, March 15, 2026.<\/p>\n

Patrick T. Fallon\/AFP via Getty Images\"Autumn<\/p>\n

Autumn Durald Arkapaw hugs director Ryan Coogler as\u00a0she walks to\u00a0accept the award for Best Cinematography for \u201cSinners.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Patrick T. Fallon\/AFP via Getty Images\"Autumn<\/p>\n

Autumn Durald Arkapaw accepts the award for Best Cinematography for \u201cSinners.\u201d<\/p>\n

Patrick T. Fallon\/AFP via Getty Images\"Michael\u00a0B.<\/p>\n

Michael\u00a0B. Jordan accepts the Actor in\u00a0a\u00a0Leading Role award for \u201cSinners.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kevin Winter\/Getty Images\"Ryan<\/p>\n

Ryan Coogler, from left, winner of the award for writing (original screenplay) for \u201cSinners, \u201d Ludwig Goransson, winner of the award for music (original score), Autumn Durald Arkapaw, winner of the award for cinematography and Michael B. Jordan, winner of the award for actor in a leading role pose in the press room at the Oscars on Sunday, March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n

Jordan Strauss\/Associated Press<\/p>\n

Even if it didn\u2019t take home the ultimate prize, \u201cSinners<\/a>\u201d\u00a0\u2014 and the East Bay\u00a0\u2014 were big winners at the 98th Academy Awards.<\/p>\n

Oakland\u2019s Ryan Coogler<\/a> won his first career Oscar on Sunday, March 15, for best original screenplay award for \u201cSinners<\/a>.\u201d The film\u2019s director of photography, Danville-raised Autumn Durald Arkapaw<\/a>, made history as the first woman to win the best cinematography.<\/p>\n

Michael B. Jordan, who first collaborated with Coogler by portraying BART police shooting victim Oscar Grant in \u201cFruitvale Station\u201d (2013), won best actor for playing twins Smoke and Stack in Coogler\u2019s vampire tale set in the Jim Crow South. This was also his first Oscar.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Ludwig G\u00f6ransson, who has collaborated with Coogler since both were students at the University of Southern California, won his third statuette for best original score.<\/p>\n

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The four Oscars\u00a0\u2014 out of a record 16 nominations\u00a0\u2014 were a strong showing despite the six won by best picture winner \u201cOne Battle After Another,\u201d which also captured Academy Awards for Paul Thomas Anderson\u2019s direction and adapted screenplay and Sean Penn\u2019s best supporting actor performance.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In accepting his screenplay award onstage at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, Coogler warned the well-heeled crowd and a worldwide television audience that he might talk a bit.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI grew up in Oakland, Richmond, California. We can talk a lot,\u201d he said with a chuckle.<\/p>\n

Coogler, who is now the second Black filmmaker to win in the category following Jordan Peele\u2019s \u201cGet Out\u201d win in 2018, was asking the crowd to stop clapping so he could speak. Throughout the evening, several Oscar winners had been cut off for time. Even the intricate dance and musical performance of the Oscar-nominated \u201cSinners\u201d song \u201cI Lied To You,\u201d led by Oakland native Raphael Saadiq<\/a>, wasn\u2019t shown in its entirety so the ABC broadcast could go to commercial, while the performance continued onstage.<\/p>\n

After congratulating his fellow nominees and thanking Warner Bros. and his production team, Coogler, whose hair was braided into the shape of a guitar and treble clef in homage of the film\u2019s blues theme, concluded his speech by thanking his family, including his wife, co-producer Zinzi Coogler.<\/p>\n

\u201cZinzi, you\u2019re the best wife and mom in the world,\u201d Coogler said. \u201cEvery day I get to spend with you is better than the one that came before. And to my parents who are here, thank y\u2019all for all the memories. Thank y\u2019all for making me believe in myself.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd to my babies that are at home watching, I apologize for all the time away. Dad loves you.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"Michael\u00a0B.<\/p>\n

Michael\u00a0B. Jordan accepts the Oscar for Actor in\u00a0a\u00a0Leading Role for \u201cSinners\u201d during the 98th Annual Academy Awards.<\/p>\n

Robert Gauthier\/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Jordan, who brought his mother as his Oscar date, became the sixth Black man to win best actor. He thanked past Black acting winners by name, as well as Warner Bros. brass and his \u201cSinners\u201d castmates.<\/p>\n

But he had special praise for Coogler.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re an amazing, amazing person,\u201d Jordan told Coogler from the stage. \u201cI\u2019m so honored to call you a collaborator and a friend. You gave me the opportunity and space for me to be seen.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Coogler responded from his seat by making a heart emoji with his hands, Jordan said, \u201cI love you too, bro. I love you to death.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Durald Arkapaw, who is of Filipino and Creole descent, was only the fourth woman in the 98-year history of the Oscars to be nominated in the category, and the first woman of color. She followed Rachel Morrison (2018\u2019s \u201cMudbound\u201d), Ari Wegner (2021\u2019s \u201cThe Power of the Dog\u201d) and Mandy Walker (2022\u2019s \u201cElvis\u201d) as nominees.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhenever I say \u2018thank you\u2019 to Ryan, he says \u2018No, thank you for believing in me, thank you for trusting me,\u2019 and that\u2019s the kind of guy I get to make films with,\u201d Durald Arkapaw said. \u201cHe\u2019s a really honorable man, and he means it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Danville-raised<\/p>\n

Danville-raised Autumn Durald Arkapaw poses in\u00a0the press room with the Oscar for best cinematography for \u201cSinners.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Valerie Macon\/AFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n

G\u00f6ransson previously won Academy Awards for Coogler\u2019s \u201cBlack Panther\u201d (2018) and Christopher Nolan\u2019s \u201cOppenheimer\u201d (2023). He first worked with Coogler on a 2009 short film, \u201clocks,\u201d made at USC.\u00a0<\/p>\n

G\u00f6ransson, who is from Sweden, credited his father for buying a blues record in 1964 and devoting his life to music. He gave his son a guitar when he turned 7.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIt was the guitar eventually that led me to one the greatest storytellers of our time, Ryan Coogler,\u201d G\u00f6ransson said. \u201cRyan, thank you for your vision and making a movie that resonated with the whole world.\u201d<\/p>\n

Elsewhere, Oakland resident Delroy Lindo, nominated in the best supporting actor category, lost out to Penn, the fourth male actor to win three Academy Awards after Daniel Day-Lewis, Jack Nicholson and Walter Brennan.<\/p>\n

Penn also won for \u201cMystic River\u201d (2003) and for portraying Harvey Milk in the San Francisco-shot \u201cMilk.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wunmi Mosaku, like Lindo nominated for the first time, lost best supporting actress to Amy Madigan for \u201cWeapons.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Ryan<\/p>\n

Ryan Coogler, winner of\u00a0the Writing (Original Screenplay) award, poses with Paul Thomas Anderson, winner of\u00a0the Writing (Adapted Screenplay) award for \u201cOne Battle After Another\u201d backstage during the 98th Oscars at\u00a0Dolby Theatre on\u00a0Sunday, March 15, 2026 in\u00a0Hollywood.<\/p>\n

Richard Harbaugh\/The Academy via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Still, even if it was not quite magical, it was an impressive night for \u201cSinners\u201d and its creatives.<\/p>\n

\u201cMemories are all we have,\u201d Coogler said in a message to his children. \u201cI hope I\u2019ll give you some great ones. And when y\u2019all blessed to live a long life, and that becomes just a memory, I want y\u2019all to remember this one thing: I love y\u2019all more than anything.\u201d<\/p>\n