In a historic moment at the 98th Academy Awards, Michael B. Jordan took home the Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his powerful dual performance in the film Sinners, directed by Ryan Coogler.

The victory marks Jordan’s first Academy Award win and first nomination in his career. He portrayed twin brothers Smoke and Stack in the supernatural vampire allegory, a role that blended intense drama, racial commentary, and genre elements in the blockbuster hit.

Jordan triumphed over a competitive field that included nominees such as Timothée Chalamet, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Ethan Hawke.

The category was widely seen as one of the evening’s closest races, with four of the five contenders vying for their first Oscar.

Accepting the award to a roaring ovation at the Dolby Theatre, Jordan delivered an emotional speech. “God is good,” he began, before expressing deep gratitude: “I stand here because of the people who came before me,” acknowledging trailblazers like Denzel Washington and Halle Berry.

He thanked his family, the film’s team, and supporters throughout his journey, noting the significance of the milestone as one of the few Black actors to win in the category joining legends such as Sidney Poitier and Washington and the first to earn the honor for portraying twins.

Sinners, a critical and commercial success, also earned recognition in other categories, including a win for Original Screenplay for Coogler.

Jordan’s performance was praised for its depth and versatility, contributing to the film’s strong awards momentum.

The win solidifies Jordan’s transition from acclaimed actor and producer to Oscar-winning talent, capping a celebrated night for the film and its collaborators.

The film, ‘One Battle After Another,’ directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, emerged as the biggest winner of the Oscars 2026 edition, yesterday taking home six Oscars — Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor for Sean Penn, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Editing, and the newly introduced category of Best Casting.

The Oscars, regarded as one of the most prestigious honours in global cinema, recognise outstanding achievements in filmmaking across acting, directing, writing, music and technical categories.

The ceremony was held yesterday at the 98th Academy Awards in Hollywood, USA.

The triumph marked a defining moment for Anderson, who had been nominated at the Academy Awards for nearly three decades without a win.

The film, a story about citizen resistance, received 13 nominations — the second-highest of the night behind ‘Sinners,’ directed by Ryan Coogler, which made Oscars history with a record 16 nominations.

Also, Michael B. Jordan, won the Oscar for Best Actor.

Jordan edged out Leonardo DiCaprio, Timothée Chalamet, Wagner Moura and Ethan Hawke to claim the award.

With the win, Jordan becomes the sixth Black actor to receive the Best Actor honour and earned his first-ever Academy Award nomination.

In his acceptance speech, Jordan paid tribute to previous Black winners in the category, including Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington and Jamie Foxx.

He also thanked Warner Bros. and Coogler for supporting original ideas and artistry.

•Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa , and music icon, Innocent Idibia (2Baba)

Nigerian music icon, Innocent Idibia, better known as 2Baba, alongside his team has met with the Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa to discuss the prospect of using music as a tool to counter violent narratives among young Nigerians.

During the meeting held in Abuja, 2Baba unveiled an initiative designed as a national, culture-driven intervention that leverages music to promote behavioural change and youth reorientation.

The campaign seeks to transform entertainment into a force for positive social influence, particularly at a time when some music narratives and visual aesthetics risk normalising aggression and harmful “hustle culture.”

Explaining the vision, 2Baba said the campaign aims to turn up conversations around lasting solutions to insecurity, break down barriers limiting access to creative talent, and activate youth engagement through experiential platforms, and ultimately helping to turn down the culture of violence.

In response, the Minister described the initiative as one that strongly aligns with the Federal Government’s non-kinetic strategy for tackling insecurity, noting that 2Baba’s influence and credibility among Nigerian youths position him as a powerful mentor and voice for positive change.