Sinners Wins Top Prize at Actor Awards as Jessie Buckley Proves Unbeatable
The vampire film Sinners secured the top honour at the Actor Awards ceremony, where Irish actress Jessie Buckley continued her unstoppable march towards the Oscars with another significant victory. Ryan Coogler's epic period piece, set in 1930s Mississippi, was awarded the prestigious best ensemble in a motion picture prize, while Michael B. Jordan, who portrays twins in the film, was named best male actor in a leading role.
Emotional Tributes and Ensemble Recognition
Accepting his award, Michael B. Jordan paid heartfelt tribute to his co-stars, stating, "Everybody that had something to do with this movie, you gave us your time and your talents and vulnerability and allowed me to do my best work." The ensemble award, considered the night's biggest prize, was collected by Delroy Lindo, who delivered an emotional speech.
Lindo expressed, "This project is anointed and from that standpoint we are all anointed to be a part of this incredible journey created by the genius Ryan Coogler. We brought our hearts, we brought our souls, we brought our spirits, to be recognised by you all, thank you does not come anywhere near to encompassing how we feel, the gratitude we feel. From the bottom of our hearts to the bottom of your hearts, thank you so much for everything."
These victories arrive just one week after Jordan and Lindo were on stage at the Bafta film awards when a racial slur was shouted by an audience member with Tourette's syndrome, adding a poignant layer to their recognition.
Jessie Buckley's Continued Dominance
Jessie Buckley maintained her remarkable winning streak throughout this awards season, clinching the female actor in a leading role prize for her performance in Hamnet. Accepting the award, Buckley reflected, "I have been categorically changed by so many people in this room and beyond."
She offered a special tribute to her Hamnet co-star Emily Watson, saying, "I'd like to say a special thank you to my incredible friend and date tonight, Emily Watson. Breaking The Waves made me whisper to myself 'That is what I want to do'. To share those scenes in Hamnet, I will cherish that for the rest of my life. Your wild imagination, your brave untethered womanhood and your ferocious gentleness is a guiding light to me. You're the realest of the real."
Buckley concluded, "I love and cherish being part of this community and I hope I can continue to offer something meaningful back."
Notable Wins and Emotional Moments
The Actor Awards, formerly known as the Screen Actors Guild Awards and voted for by members of the SAG-AFTRA union, saw several other significant winners. The late Catherine O'Hara, star of Schitt's Creek and Home Alone, posthumously won the outstanding performance by a female actor in a comedy series prize for her role in the Apple TV+ hit The Studio.
O'Hara passed away on January 30 at age 71 from a pulmonary embolism following a cancer diagnosis. Her co-star and show co-creator Seth Rogen collected the award, stating, "I've been reflecting on the time I was fortunate enough to spend with her and working with her and something I've been marvelling at is her ability to be generous and kind and gracious, while never minimising her own talent and her own ability to contribute to the work we were doing."
Rogen urged audiences to share O'Hara's work, saying, "Tell the people that's Catherine O'Hara and we were lucky to live in a world where she so generously shared her talents with us." The Studio also won the ensemble in a comedy series award, while Rogen was named best male actor in a comedy series.
Additional Award Highlights
Other notable winners included:
- Amy Madigan was named best female actor in a supporting role in a motion picture for Weapons, delivering a humorous speech where she appraised her statuette's anatomy.
- Sean Penn won the male actor in a supporting role in a motion picture prize for One Battle After Another but was not present at the ceremony.
- Michelle Williams claimed the prize for female actor in a television movie or limited series for Dying For Sex.
- Noah Wyle won male actor in a drama series for The Pitt, which also secured the best ensemble in a drama series prize.
- The first award of the night went to Keri Russell, named best female actor in a drama series for The Diplomat, who referenced her husband Matthew Rhys by saying, "Happy St David's Day to my Welsh guy."
The 32nd annual ceremony featured a name change from the Screen Actors Guild Awards to the Actor Awards, a transition revealed earlier this year during the nominations broadcast. Adolescence star Owen Cooper was named best actor in a television movie or limited series but was absent from the ceremony.
