Sinners has made history at the BAFTA Film Awards 2026, becoming the most decorated movie by a Black director.
Ryan Coogler‘s hit vampire thriller won three bronze masks at the British awards ceremony, held at London’s Royal Festival Hall on Sunday.
This eclipses the previous record for a film by a Black director, held by Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave, which scooped two awards in 2014.
Wunmi Mosaku won Best Supporting Actor for her performance as Annie. The Warner Bros. feature also took home Original Screenplay for Coogler’s script. Ludwig Göransson won Best Original Score. Sinners had 13 BAFTA nominations in total.
Collecting his screenplay award, Coogler said: “I come from a community that loves me. They made me believe that I could do this, that I could be a writer. And it was amazing to be accepted into the community of film actors, the community of Los Angeles.
He continued: “For all the writers out there, when y’all look at that blank page, think of who you love, think of anybody who you’ve seen in pain that you identify with and wish they felt better and let that love motivate you. I’ll be forever grateful for this, thank you all.”
Despite the success of Sinners, BAFTA has yet to honor a Black filmmaker as Best Director. Paul Thomas Anderson took home the prize for One Battle After Another, which also won Best Film. Full winners here.
