The Oscars ‘Sinners’ Needs to Win

When the nominations for the 98th Academy Awards were announced Thursday morning, one title immediately swallowed the conversation whole. Sinners made history as the most-nominated film in Academy Awards history, racking up an unprecedented 16 nods—including Best Picture, Best Director for Ryan Coogler, and Best Actor for Michael B. Jordan.

It’s a familiar Oscar paradox: the film everyone agrees defined the year risks walking away with far less than it deserves. We’ve seen this movie before. Sweeping nominations, marginal wins. Prestige recognized, impact minimized. That outcome would be a mistake here. These are the awards Sinners both needs and deserves to win.

@holdensmith962 These nominations are great tbh for the most part but justice for ari #PopCulture #popculturenews #foryou #oscars #sinners ♬ original sound - Holden Smith | Pop Culture

Best Picture

There was no film more culturally unavoidable this year than Sinners. It dominated box office discussions, think pieces, group chats, and year-end lists. Best Picture is supposed to reward the movie that best captures its moment. Sinners did that and then some.

Best Supporting Actor: Delroy Lindo

Delroy Lindo has been one of the most consistently excellent actors of the last three decades, and the Academy has repeatedly failed to meet him where his work already is. His performance in Sinners is wildy funny, at times tragic, and always felt real.

Best Original Screenplay

Original Screenplay should reward risk and clarity in the how a movie is written. Just like Moonlight’s, Sinners’ screenplay practically deserves its own book.

Best Film Editing

Other films in this category, like F1, hinge on action sequences or fast pacing. Meanwhile, Sinners had one extended music-driven sequence that everyone couldn’t stop talking about. That alone should settle this category. The editing became the storytelling, not just structure.

Best Original Score: Ludwig Göransson

In a year when audiences rediscovered how vital film scores can be, Ludwig Göransson led the charge. His music functioned as memory, threat, and sometime what the movie need to propel itself forward.

Best Costume Design: Ruth E. Carter

Carter is literally already the most-nominated Black woman in history. Need we say more??

Best Director: Ryan Coogler

A Black director has yet to win the Oscar for Best Director. May this be the year that changes. Ryan Coogler’s direction is the backbone of Sinners. It can’t be overstated how every choice—pacing, framing, when to linger in a quiet moment, when to escalate—felt deliberate and confident.

The Latest