Ryan Coogler first to direct two Actor Awards best ensemble winners

Ryan Coogler has made history at the Actor Awards by becoming the first person to direct two best cast ensemble winners.

At the 2026 Actor Awards in Los Angeles, the Creed filmmaker's critically acclaimed supernatural thriller Sinners won the night's biggest prize, Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.

According to Variety, this makes Coogler the first director to helm two best ensemble winners in the history of the awards, following the cast of his superhero movie Black Panther winning the ensemble prize in 2019.

Michael B. Jordan, Coogler's long-running collaborator, featured in both ensembles, placing him among a group of 18 performers who have won twice. Of that group, he is the second Black actor and third Black performer after Don Cheadle and Octavia Spencer.

This year, Jordan also won an individual award, Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role, for his portrayal of twins Smoke and Stack in Sinners.

Taking to the stage at the Shrine Auditorium, Sinners star Delroy Lindo spoke on behalf of the cast, saying, "We're all anointed to be a part of this incredible journey created by the genius Ryan Coogler... We brought ourselves. We brought our hearts, we brought our souls. We brought our spirits to this endeavour, and to be recognised by you all...Thank you doesn't come anywhere near to encompassing what we feel, the gratitude."

Sinners beat Frankenstein, Hamnet, Marty Supreme and One Battle After Another to win the ensemble prize. Alongside Jordan and Lindo, the award-winning cast includes Wunmi Mosaku, Hailee Steinfeld, Jayme Lawson, Miles Caton, Jack O'Connell, Omar Miller and Buddy Guy.

The film's success at the Actor Awards, formerly known as the SAG Awards, has upended predictions for this year's Oscar race.

The 2026 Academy Awards will be hosted by Conan O'Brien on Sunday 15 March.