"Sinners" became the most decorated movie by a Black director in BAFTA history on Sunday after winning three prizes at the 2026 EE BAFTA Film Awards in London.

The vampire thriller, directed and co-written by Ryan Coogler, took home awards for Original Screenplay, Supporting Actress, and Original Score. The wins mean "Sinners" now surpasses Steve McQueen's "12 Years a Slave," which earned two BAFTAs in 2014 and previously held the record for the most decorated BAFTA film by a Black director.

Wunmi Mosaku was honored as Best Supporting Actress for her performance as Annie, while composer Ludwig Göransson collected the Original Score prize, according to Deadline.

Coogler's victory in Original Screenplay also marked a first, making him the first Black winner in that writing category at the BAFTAs. In his acceptance speech, he thanked the community that supported him and urged aspiring writers to keep going even when they doubt themselves. He said their love for others should drive them when they face a blank page.

The film had entered the night as one of the most nominated titles, with 13 nods, the highest total ever for a movie directed by a Black filmmaker at the BAFTA Film Awards.

"Sinners" did not win Best Film or Best Director, with Paul Thomas Anderson's "One Battle After Another" instead taking both of those top honors. Industry observers say the strong BAFTA showing keeps Coogler's movie in a powerful position heading into the Oscars.

The film has already made box office waves, earning about 368 million dollars worldwide since its April 2025 release. It has drawn rave reviews for its mix of horror, character drama, and social themes.

It also leads this year's Academy Awards field with a record 16 nominations, more than any film in Oscar history, further cementing its place as a landmark achievement for a Black director in global awards history, the New York Times reported.

Set in 1930s Mississippi, "Sinners" follows twin brothers Elijah "Smoke" and Elias "Stack" Moore, World War I veterans who return home hoping to build a better life by opening a juke joint for their Black community.

With help from their musician cousin Sammie and a tight-knit group of workers, they try to create a space for music and freedom, only to find themselves targeted by both a racist landowner and an Irish vampire who sees Sammie's blues talent as a way to gain power.

As night falls, the juke joint becomes the site of a violent showdown that forces the brothers to confront supernatural terror, the Ku Klux Klan, and their own guilt, leaving Sammie to carry the legacy of that night into his future as a blues musician, as per Spoiler Town.

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Michael Jordan, BAFTA, Ryan Coogler, Movie, History