Sinning equals winning for Warner Bros. this year!
With an unprecedented 12 wins — including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor — Sinners makes history as the most-awarded film in the history of the Music City Film Critics’ Association. The MCFCA is comprised of 40 film critics working in or near Nashville, Tennessee, which announces the MCFCA 2026 Film Awards.
The historic haul for Sinners includes Best Picture, Best Director — Ryan Coogler, Best Actor — Michael B. Jordan, Best Young Actor — Miles Caton, Best Acting Ensemble, Best Music Film, Best Screenplay, Best Original Song, Best Score, Best Cinematography, Best Editing and Best Horror Film.
Winning 12 awards, Sinners shatters the previous record of seven set by Oppenheimer in 2024. Among the other milestones attached to the film, Michael B. Jordan took home Best Actor, making him the first performer to ever win multiple acting awards from the MCFCA. Additionally, composer Ludwig Göransson secured his fourth MCFCA Award for Best Score.
“Ryan Coogler’s mesmerizing dance of darkness delivered a theatrical experience that no other film in 2025 could rival,” said Sean Atkins, President of the MCFCA. “For a work so deeply rooted in music, I cannot think of a more fitting recipient to now hold the record as the most awarded film in our Association’s history.”
Each year the MCFCA gives out The Jim Ridley Award, a special award named after one of Nashville’s most beloved film critics, who died at age 50 in 2016. It is given to the film or person that best represents Nashville and Tennessee. This year’s recipient is Bi Gan’s Resurrection.
“Bi Gan’s Resurrection perfectly embodies everything that the late, great Jim Ridley loved about movies,” said Jason Shawhan, member of the MCFCA and part of The Jim Ridley Award Jury.
“Expansive in vision, exacting in detail, full of care and chaos and a sense that when we gather together in Saint Nicole Kidman’s cathedral of vision, the film gives us more than we are, and casts our collective eyes beyond all this to what we just might could achieve.”
“In addition, Bi grants us grifts and gore and majesty and machinations,” he said. “It’s a remarkable achievement.”
For more information regarding the Music City Film Critics’ Association and its history, please visit the official launch of the MCFCA website.
** Personal Commentary **
As I previously wrote in more detail, 2025 was a weird one for movies. While it was a great year for horror, I would argue it was not a good year for great films. There were some exceptional separate performances sprinkled throughout many different releases, but the individuals (good acting, music, special effects, etc.) outnumbered the whole (bad writing, direction, overall movies) by a wide margin.
Clocking in at No. 7, Sinners was the ONLY original feature film within the Domestic Top 10 Films of 2025. It was also the ONLY true horror movie within that group. That says a lot about the overall filmgoing habits in the United States, as so many prequels, sequels and spin offs made major bank, which were followed by more than a few fair-weather franchises that didn’t age too well, along with many other misfires.
So, what’s a cynical cinephile supposed to do?
On the one hand, you could say the past couple of years were overstuffed with more films than usual, due to the COVID-19 shutdown and eventual Hollywood strikes. There were a lot of studios that were bleeding cash left and right, so I can understand why they’d want to rush their final product out the door as quickly as possible. On the other hand, the Hollywood studios are notorious for counterprogramming their release dates, choosing previously profitable time periods that will hopefully bring in repeat business.
That did not happen in 2025.
For example, I was pleasantly surprised by last year’s overall offerings of animated feature films. This year’s offerings were nowhere close to that same level of excellence. There were numerous good films filtered throughout many different genres, but they were definitely not great. Many of these movies featured noteworthy individual performances, but again, they were not comparable to the previous year’s offerings.
That being said, I’m very proud of my fellow MCFCA members for showing A24 Films, in general, and Sinners, specifically, some love. A whole lotta love. A24 Films truly is an indie darling, one which continues to crank out so many films that I connect with so easily. There are so many. I will continue being a fanboy to that distributor for quite a while.
Sinners was my favorite film of ’25, and I can only hope other voting groups will also show their appreciation to Ryan Coogler et al. That gives me some hope as the filmmaker considers rebooting The X-Files for a new generation, although after watching the revived series by Chris Carter, I’d prefer the franchise would receive a very long rest in terms of pop-culture relevance, as the first three seasons are STILL the very best. I’d compare it to anything airing EVER on the broadcast networks; it’s just a great blend of science fiction, fantasy and horror.
Too bad that type of quality wasn’t readily available in movie theaters last year.
The 2026 Music City Film Critics’ Association Film Award Winners:
Best Picture
Sinners
The Jim Ridley Award
Resurrection
Best Director
Ryan Coogler — Sinners
Best Actress
Rose Byrne – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Best Actor
Michael B. Jordan — Sinners
Best Supporting Actress
Amy Madigan — Weapons
Best Supporting Actor
Sean Penn — One Battle After Another
Best Young Actress
Sora Wong — Bring Her Back
Best Young Actor
Miles Caton — Sinners
Best Acting Ensemble
Sinners
Best Music Film
Sinners
Best Animated Film
The Day the Earth Blew Up
Best Documentary
John Candy: I Like Me
Best International Film
The Secret Agent
Best Screenplay
Sinners
Best Original Song
“I Lied to You” Miles Caton — Sinners
Best Score
Sinners
Best Sound
F1: The Movie
Best Cinematography
Sinners
Best Production Design
Frankenstein
Best Editing
Sinners
Best Comedy Film
Friendship
Best Horror Film
Sinners
Best Action Film
F1: The Movie
Best Stunt Work
Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning
