Michael B Jordan gets long-lasting standing ovation as he wins Best Actor at Oscars 2026

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: People present at the Oscars 2026 could not stop clapping for Michael B. Jordan as he won the Best Actor award for playing twins Smoke and Stack in Ryan Coogler’s horror triumph ‘Sinners’.

Set in Mississippi during the 1930s in the Jim Crow era, the 39-year-old actor received a triumphant standing ovation Sunday, March 15, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles.

Michael B Jordan thanks people who came before him during his acceptance speech

“I stand here because of the people who came before me — Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, Halle Berry, Jamie Foxx, Forest Whitaker, Will Smith. Tobe amongst those giants, amongst those greats, amongst my ancestors, amongst my gods,” Jordan said in his acceptance speech.

He also expressed gratitude to the audience and fans, adding, “Thank you everybody in this room and everybody at home for supporting me over my career. I feel it. I know you guys want me to do well, and I want to do that because you guys bet on it. So thank you for keeping betting on me.”

Jordan was nominated alongside Timothée Chalamet for ‘Marty Supreme’, Leonardo DiCaprio for ‘One Battle After Another’, Ethan Hawke for ‘Blue Moon’, and Wagner Moura for ‘The Secret Agent’.

Michael B Jordan expresses gratitude towards filmmaker Ryan Coogler

The award ultimately went to the ‘Creed’ star, who went on to thank Coogler, saying, “I am so honored to call you a collaborator and a friend. You gave me the opportunity and the space to be seen."

The competition among the stars was tough, as all of them would have been first-time winners in the Best Actor category.

Jordan first appeared in a major role on the big screen in 2013’s ‘Fruitvale Station’, also directed by Coogler. He then marked his remarkable presence in 2018's ‘Black Panther’ and in ‘Wakanda Forever’, released in 2022.