Ryan Coogler is offcially an Academy Award winners.
Coogler secured his first-ever Oscar at the 98th Academy Awards, winning Best Original Screenplay for his genre-bending horror epic Sinners.
With his win, Coogler became only the second Black writer in history to take home the honor, following Jordan Peele in 2018. The victory served as a long-overdue coronation for the Oakland-born filmmaker, whose film entered the night with a record-shattering 16 nominations.
Coogler’s win is the ultimate validation of a visionary who has spent over a decade redefining what “commercial” Black cinema can look and feel like.
In his speech, Coogler received a standing ovation before asking the crowd to settle down.
“Please sit down because I’m very nervous and they’re going to play me off,” Coogler joked/
He thanked the Academy and the creative team behind his acclaimed film.
“I want to thank the Academy for thinking of our movie that came out almost a year ago,” he said. “This is an incredible honor.”
Coogler also thanked his family and collaborators.
“Warner Bros., everybody, all my cast and crew — please stand up. You guys are amazing. You all are winners in my book,” he said.
Coogler then showed his love to his wife and co-producer, Zinzi Evans, who was in the audience.
“You are the best producer in the world, the best wife and mom in the world,” Coogler said.“Every day I get to spend with you is better than the day that came before it,” he continued.
Coogler thanked his parents and showed love to his children, who were watching at home. “To my parents here, thank you for all the memories. Thank you for making me believe in myself,” Coogler said. “And to my babies at home watching, I apologize for all the time away. Dad loves you.”
Along with Coogler’s wins, Michael B. Jordan won for Best Actor. The film also won Best Cinematography and Best Original Score.