Ryan Coogler is now an Oscar winner. The director, writer, and producer of “Sinners” won the Original Screenplay Academy Award, beating out acclaimed screenplays from Jafar Panahi (“It Was Just An Accident”), Eskil Vogt and Joachim Trier (“Sentimental Value”), Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie (“Marty Supreme”), and Robert Kaplow (“Blue Moon”). This is Coogler’s first win after five total nominations. He was also nominated this year as a producer for “Sinners” in the Best Picture and Best Director categories.
READ MORE: 2026 Oscars Winners and Nominees [Complete List]
The Oakland, California native was previously nominated as a producer in the Best Picture category for “Judas and the Black Messiah,” and in Best Original Song for “Lift Me Up” from “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” In 2019, “Black Panther” was nominated for Best Picture, but Coogler was not credited as a producer.
Coogler also won the 2026 WGA Award, the BAFTA Award, and the National Board of Review Award for Original Screenplay for the supernatural thriller. He also won a Grammy this year for “Sinners” in the Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for Visual Media category.
One of the most critically acclaimed films of 2025, “Sinners” was a massive stateside hit, earning $279.9 million in the U.S. and $369.2 million globally. It was a substantial money-maker for Warner Bros., given its reported $90 million production budget.
Up next for Coogler is a new incarnation of “The X-Files” starring Danielle Deadwyler for Hulu and a third untitled “Black Panther” film for Marvel Studios. His previous credits as a director and screenwriter include “Fruitville Station,” which won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, and “Creed.” He is also a credited producer on “Space Jam: A New Legacy,” “Creed II,” “Creed III,” and the documentary “Stephan Curry: Underrated.”
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