The moment Michael B. Jordan learned his film Sinners made Oscars history with a staggering 16 nominations, he knew there was only one person to share the news with first. The actor, who earned a Best Actor nod himself, immediately picked up the phone to call the most important woman in his life.
Michael B. Jordan had this reaction to Sinners Oscar nomination
For Michael B. Jordan, the morning of the Oscar nominations was emotional on multiple levels. His film Sinners landed a record-breaking 16 nominations, the most ever received by a single film, while Jordan himself earned a Best Actor nod. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Jordan revealed that his first call was to his mother, Donna. “My mom was my first call,” he said shortly after the nominations were announced.
Jordan described the moment as overwhelming and deeply meaningful, tying the achievement back to the very start of his journey. “It was great. A lot of tears and the reason why I’m even in this industry and why I’m acting at all — why that was even an idea,” he continued, adding, “To talk to the woman who started it all first meant the world.”
The historic achievement places Sinners ahead of previous record-holders like Titanic (1997), La La Land (2016), and All About Eve (1950). All of these got 14 nominations. Elsewhere in the interview, Jordan admitted he’s still processing the scale of the recognition.
“It’s really a testament to the film as a whole and all the pieces involved and the people that went to go see this movie and watched this film,” he noted. The nominations also included Best Director (Ryan Coogler) and Best Supporting Actor (Delroy Lindo).
Sinners stars Michael B. Jordan in dual roles as twin brothers with a criminal past who return to their hometown, only to realize they’ve walked into more than old grudges and unfinished business.
