Michael B. Jordan and Sinners Dominate Sag Awards 2026
Michael B. Jordan took home the top acting prize at sag awards 2026 and the film Sinners won best ensemble, a sweep that landed at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on Sunday and adds momentum ahead of the Oscars on March 15.
Onstage surprise at the Shrine Auditorium
Jordan won best male performance in a leading role for portraying twin brothers Smoke and Stack in Sinners, and he admitted onstage, "I wasn't expecting this at all. " Presenter Viola Davis screamed with excitement as she read his name at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. Jordan later returned to the stage when the cast of Sinners won for best performance by a cast in a motion picture, marking his second ensemble win at the Actor Awards after 2019's Black Panther.
Sag Awards 2026: the wins and the competition
Jordan bested nominees Timothée Chalamet for Marty Supreme, Leonardo DiCaprio for One Battle After Another, Ethan Hawke for Blue Moon and Jesse Plemons for Bugonia. He told the crowd, "I'm so honored and privileged to be nominated in categories with people… that I love, " and reflected on dreaming of joining SAG-AFTRA as a teen actor, saying the kid from North Jersey who was driven to auditions by his mother was "standing here right now. " He also thanked Ryan Coogler for trusting him and "giving me the opportunity to show what I can do. " The Actor Awards are seen as an important precursor to the Oscars on March 15.
Sinners: plot, team and awards season haul
Sinners, set in the 1930s South, teams Jordan with director Ryan Coogler for the fifth time after Fruitvale Station, Creed and the two Black Panther movies. In the film Jordan plays bootlegging twins who open a juke joint, and vampires crash the party. The movie earned a record-breaking 16 Oscar nominations and pulled in $369 million worldwide at the box office. Ryan Coogler made history at the ceremony, becoming the first director to helm two best ensemble winners in the history of the Actor Awards after previously winning with 2018's Black Panther.
Television leaders: The Studio and The Pitt
On the television side, The Studio won three awards, including best ensemble in a comedy series, while The Pitt picked up two awards, including best ensemble in a drama series. Seth Rogen earned lead actor in a comedy series for playing a hapless movie chief in The Studio. Catherine O'Hara, who died in January at age 71, was a posthumous winner for lead actress in a comedy series; Rogen accepted her prize and reflected on her habit of offering suggestions that enhanced her character and the show.
Supporting prizes and special honors
Supporting actor prizes went to two villainous turns: Sean Penn won for playing a demented soldier in One Battle After Another, and Amy Madigan was honored for portraying a literal witch in Weapons. Madigan said, "Actors love other actors — they just love being with them. " Keri Russell was named best lead actress in a drama series over Rhea Seehorn for her work in The Diplomat, and Noah Wyle won lead actor in a drama series for his role in The Pitt. Michelle Williams won best actress in a limited series for playing a woman with terminal cancer in Dying for Sex. Owen Cooper, the 16-year-old star of Adolescence, beat out his co-star Stephen Graham to win best actor in a limited series. Harrison Ford received the Lifetime Achievement Award.
