Michael B. Jordan is thanking one special saint.

As the Sinners actor accepted the trophy for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role at the 2026 Actor Awards—hosted by Kristen Bell at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles March 1—he gave a special shoutout to his mom Donna Jordan, who supported his dream to become an actor even through tough times.

“Mom, thank you for driving me back and forth to New York,” Michael said while making eye contact with Donna, who held back tears in the audience, “when we didn’t have enough money to go through the Holland Tunnel, when we were looking for gas money, parking spaces, when I went up there for my auditions.”

The 39-year-old also thanked his longtime collaborator Ryan Coogler, who received an Oscar nomination for writing and directing Sinners. 

“I want to thank Ryan Coogler for giving me the opportunity to show what I can do,” he continued, “and to be fearless and to create a safe space for us to find the truth [and for] what you do with all the other actors that we had an opportunity to work with.”