Sinners silenced any doubt concerning the energy of Black storytelling by sweeping the Black Film Critics Circle awards in New York City. The film and others emerged as celebrated movies of 2025.

The Ryan Coogler directed drama was named “Best Film of the Year” by the Black Film Critics Circle and led the group’s annual honors with wins for “Best Director,” “Best Actor” for Michael B. Jordan, “Best Supporting Actor” for Delroy Lindo, “Best Original Screenplay,” “Best Cinematography” and “Best Ensemble Performance.”

The outcomes adopted BFCC’s 12 months finish voting course of recognizing achievements in theatrical movement footage throughout 13 aggressive classes.

The announcement was delivered by BFCC co-president Mike Sargent, who framed the movie’s success inside a broader cultural context that extends far past awards season.

“We live in a time of cultural erasure for Black folks in America and people of color in general. Books are being banned and achievements are being erased. Yet somehow a film like Sinners can come out and remind not just the importance of Black stories, but how a genre like a horror-vampire movie can speak to the human condition and have social relevance,” Sargent stated.

Sargent pointed to trade information to underline the magnitude of Coogler’s achievement, citing a latest trade evaluation.

“The stories we consume as a recent article in Hollywood Reporter pointed out. 92% of the Top Scripted Streaming Series Come From white creators,” he continued. “If our creations ( non-white creators) make up only 8% what is actually getting produced, it makes what Ryan Coogler achieved here even more monumental. They may try to erase our past, but they cannot erase our future.”

Co-president Wilson Morales echoed that sentiment, noting that this 12 months’s BFCC honorees mirrored a refusal to retreat amid political stress and trade gatekeeping.

“What we saw this year is a community of filmmakers refusing to shrink in the face of political headwinds or industry gatekeeping. From Ryan Coogler’s vision to the range of performances recognized by BFCC, these films demonstrate that Black stories are not a trend or a niche; they are a vital part of the cinematic conversation,” Morales stated.

Beyond Sinners, the BFCC honored Tessa Thompson as Best Actress for Hedda and awarded Best Supporting Actress to Teyana Taylor for One Battle After Another, which additionally gained Best Adapted Screenplay. Chase Infiniti acquired the Rising Star Award for her breakout efficiency in that movie. The Perfect Neighbor was named Best Documentary Feature, Okay Pop Demon Hunters earned Best Animated Feature and It Was Just an Accident took Best Foreign Language Film.

Coogler additionally acquired the BFCC Pioneer Award recognizing his sustained affect on up to date Black cinema. The honor cited his means to steadiness scale, ambition and authorship whereas merging spectacle with social consciousness.

Sargent concluded his remarks with a direct attraction to audiences that doubled as a press release concerning the energy of style filmmaking.

“I could go on, but I’ll just say if you haven’t seen the film see it if you’ve seen the film see it again. The beauty of genre storytelling is that it’s disarming. You can speak about things in a genre film be a comedy science fiction or horror that may seem heavy handed in a straight drama that’s the power of genre. That’s the power of storytelling and that’s the power of Sinners.”

THE COMPLETE LIST OF BFCC 2025 AWARD WINNERS

Best Film: Sinners

Best Director: Ryan Coogler – Sinners

Best Actor: Michael B. Jordan – Sinners

Best Actress: Tessa Thompson – Hedda

Best Supporting Actor: Delroy Lindo – Sinners

Best Supporting Actress: Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another

Original Screenplay: Sinners

Adapted Screenplay: One Battle After Another

Cinematography: Sinners

Documentary Feature: The Perfect Neighbor

Animated Feature: Okay-Pop Demon Hunters

Foreign Language Film: It Was Just an Accident

Ensemble Performance: Sinners

BFCC Special Mention: 40 Acres

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