Los Angeles [US], March 16 : Firsts are always special, and for actor Michael B. Jordan, the 98th Academy Awards will be unforgettable, as he took home his first-ever Oscar on Sunday night for his performance in 'Sinners'.
He's the sixth Black actor to win in the lead actor category, Variety reported.
The moment Adrien Brody announced Michael as the winner, the Dolby Theatre reverberated with a roaring standing ovation from the audience.
In his acceptance speech, Michael gave a shout-out to actors such as Sidney Poitier and Will Smith for paving the way for young Black actors.
"I stand here because of the people that came before me," Jordan said before shouting out the prior Black lead acting Oscar winners: Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, Halle Berry, Jamie Foxx, Forest Whitaker and Will Smith.
"To be amongst those giants, those greats, amongst my ancestors, amongst my guys...," Michael said.
He continued, "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 me. So thank you for keeping betting on me. I'm going to keep stepping up, and I'm going to keep being the best version of myself I can be."
Michael became the late, breaking frontrunner in the category he was nominated against Timothee Chalamet ("Marty Supreme"), Leonardo DiCaprio ("One Battle After Another") Ethan Hawke ("Blue Moon") and Wagner Moura ("The Secret Agent") after scoring a key victory at the Actor Awards, formerly known as the Screen Actors Guild Awards. Prior to that ceremony, he had lost the BAFTA to Robert Aramayo of "I Swear," the Golden Globe to Moura and the Critics' Choice to Chalamet.
Michael was accompanied by his family members at the ceremony, and during his speech, he made sure to give them a shout-out.
"Man, God is good. And momma, what's up? You know how I feel about my mother," he said. "And my father is here. Pops, where you at? My dad came from Ghana to be here."
He also praised director Ryan Coogler, who has collaborated with Jordan on five films including "Fruitvale Station," "Creed" and two "Black Panther" movies.
"You're an amazing, amazing person," Jordan said. "I'm so honoured to call you a collaborator and a friend. You gave me the opportunity and space for me to be seen."
Michael pulls off double duty in the 1930s-set "Sinners", playing identical twins Smoke and Stack who return home to the South after World War I and open a juke joint... only for vampires to descend on the small town. In addition to awards glory (the film was the most nominated in Oscar history with 16 nods, including director for Coogler and best picture), "Sinners" became a box office juggernaut with USD 370 million globally, as per Variety.
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