Ryan Coogler Is First Black Person to Win BAFTA Original Screenplay

Variety

by Clayton Davis

February 22, 2026

AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary

Ryan Coogler has made history by becoming the first Black person to win the BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay for his work on *Sinners*. This milestone adds to an already groundbreaking awards season for Coogler, who delivered a heartfelt acceptance speech, acknowledging the support of his community and offering words of encouragement to aspiring writers. He emphasized the importance of love and inspiration in overcoming creative challenges. Coogler’s win at BAFTA was particularly notable as he faced stiff competition from a lineup of talented screenwriters, including *Marty Supreme* (Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie) and *Sentimental Value* (Eskil Vogt and Joachim Trier). The victory not only cements Coogler’s place in cinematic history but also strengthens his chances at the upcoming Academy Awards. At the Oscars, he will face off against some of the same contenders from BAFTA, along with *Blue Moon* (Robert Kaplow) and *It Was Just an Accident* (Mehdi Mahmoudian, Jafar Panahi, Shadmehr Rastin, and Nader Saivar). *Sinner*s has already achieved remarkable success, earning 13 BAFTA nominations— the most ever for a film directed by a Black filmmaker—and setting a new record with 16 Oscar nominations. This achievement underscores Coogler’s impact on Hollywood, particularly in the horror genre. His win at BAFTA and potential Oscar victory would further highlight the importance of representation in storytelling and inspire future generations of writers and filmmakers to push boundaries and tell diverse stories.

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Originally published on Variety on 2/22/2026