“Sinners” Sweeps Oscars, Sets Record for Most Losses Despite Major Wins

The 98th Academy Awards, held on March 15, 2026, saw Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners” enter the night with a historic 16 nominations – the most ever for a single film. While the film ultimately secured four wins, it also set a new record for the most losses in Oscar history, with 12 categories going to other contenders.

A Night of Highs and Lows

“Sinners” garnered wins for Ryan Coogler for Original Screenplay, Michael B. Jordan for Lead Actor, Autumn Durald Arkapaw for Cinematography, and Ludwig Göransson for Best Original Score. Arkapaw’s win was particularly noteworthy, as she became the first woman ever to win in the Cinematography category .

Key Wins

• Best Original Screenplay: Ryan Coogler
• Best Lead Actor: Michael B. Jordan, for his dual performance as Smoke and Stack. Jordan used his acceptance speech to honor previous Black winners of the award, including Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, Halle Berry, Jamie Foxx, Forest Whitaker, and Will Smith.
• Best Cinematography: Autumn Durald Arkapaw
• Best Original Score: Ludwig Göransson, marking his third win in the category, including a previous win for “Black Panther” in 2019.

Notable Snubs

Despite the wins, “Sinners” faced several high-profile snubs throughout the evening:

• Best Supporting Actress: Wunmi Mosaku lost to Amy Madigan for “Weapons.”
• Best Supporting Actor: Delroy Lindo lost to Sean Penn for “One Battle After Another,” with Penn not even in attendance.
• Best Casting: Francine Maisler’s work on “Sinners” was overlooked, with the award going to Cassandra Kulukundis for “One Battle After Another.”
• Best Costume Design: Ruth E. Carter lost to the costume design for “Frankenstein.”
• Best Director: Ryan Coogler lost to Paul Thomas Anderson for “One Battle After Another.”
• Best Picture: The top prize went to “Bugonia,” directed by Yorgos Lanthimos.

A Performance Highlight

A standout moment of the evening was the performance of “I Lied to You” from “Sinners.” The stage presentation recreated the film’s juke joint dance scene, featuring songwriters Raphael Saadiq and Miles Caton, alongside legendary Blues singers Bobby Rush and Buddy Guy, ballerina Misty Copeland, and singer-songwriter Shaboozey. Despite the captivating performance, the song did not win Best Original Song.

Record-Breaking Losses

With 12 losses, “Sinners” now holds the record for the most losses in Academy Awards history, surpassing the previous record of 11 losses held by several films, including “Johnny Belinda” (1948) and “Becket” (1964) .

Cultural Impact and Box Office Success

Since its release in April 2025, “Sinners” has turn into a cultural touchstone, grossing $370 million worldwide. “F1” was the only Best Picture nominee to earn more, with $631 million .