Widely acclaimed by critics as well as fans, Sinners star Michael B. Jordan will add another feather to his cap as the recipient of the Outstanding Performer of the Year Award at the 41st annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival.
The 38-year-old star, who’s been acting professionally for more than 25 years, will be honored on February 12, 2026, for his acclaimed dual performance as twin brothers Smoke and Stack in Sinners, his fifth collaboration with director Ryan Coogler. The film takes place in the 1930s Jim Crow–era South, and he plays two characters who return to their hometown to find themselves facing a dark, evil, possibly supernatural presence. Lauded by critics, the film marked the biggest debut for an original film since 2019, grossing more than $366 million worldwide.
“I have been a stalwart Michael B. Jordan fan since his days on The Wire, and now he’s a bonafide box office star giving one of the year’s most intricate performances — make that two — in Sinners,” stated SBIFF Executive Director Roger Durling. “He does incredibly nuanced work creating two specific characters — the brothers Smoke and Stack — and when they interact with each other, it’s pure alchemy. We’re pleased to honor him with our Outstanding Performer of the Year Award.”
Jordan came to national attention in one of the most acclaimed dramas in television history, The Wire, and later in the critically lauded series Friday Night Lights. Sinners was Jordan’s fifth collaboration with Coogler, whose first film as a director was Fruitvale Station (Jordan’s first starring role). Their other collaborations include Creed (Coogler executive produced but didn’t direct Creed II) and the two Black Panther films.
Jordan made his directorial debut with Creed III, which broke records as the highest-grossing opening ever for a sports film. He will next direct, produce, and star in a reimagining of The Thomas Crown Affair for Amazon MGM Studios. Through his production company, Outlier Society, Jordan is developing a diverse slate of projects and his philanthropic initiatives include the Outlier Society Fellowship and creating the HBCU Legacy Classic.
He joins a prestigious list of SBIFF Outstanding Performer of the Year Awardees that includes Ralph Fiennes, Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Will Smith, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Sacha Baron Cohen, Adam Driver, Rami Malek, Margot Robbie and Allison Janney, Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, Brie Larson and Saoirse Ronan, Steve Carell, Jennifer Lawrence, Viola Davis, James Franco, Colin Firth, Penelope Cruz, Angelina Jolie, Helen Mirren, Heath Ledger, Kate Winslet, and Charlize Theron.
For more information on the 2026 edition of SBIFF, see sbiff.org.
