by Liz Courquet-Lesaulnier
(WIB) – From the chaotic Golden Globe awards to the final hurrah of the Oscars, awards season has a tendency to tell us the truth about how America sees Black folks.
It’s not just the annual ritual of nomination snubs and deserved-to-win snubs. It’s also the speeches — that tendency for white award winners to use their moment in the sun to shout out the Black person everyone knows should be on stage instead.
We got this season’s first example on Sunday night during the Critics Choice Awards thanks to Timothée Chalamet winning the Best Actor award for his performance in “Marty Supreme.” During his acceptance speech Chalamet made a point of praising Michael B. Jordan — who delivered a master class performance as the Smokestack Twins in “Sinners.”
“Michael, man, unbelievable,” Chalamet said. “Just rewatched “Sinners.” [I] hadn’t seen the after-credit scene. I’m happy I stuck around the second time.”
Jordan’s bored reaction to Chalamet’s remarks — including him thanking his girlfriend Kylie Jenner — has gone viral. And sure, Chalamet’s comments could be seen as gracious. Generous even. The kind of moment people like to frame as good manners and mutual respect. But it was also instantly familiar.
Black folks do the work, set the standard and shift the culture. Then we have to watch someone else collect the trophy.
It’s not just Hollywood. We can be praised as hard-working and inspirational on the job and exceed all expectations. But when it’s time for the reward — the pay raise, the title change, actual power — suddenly there’s a ceiling.
They Never Actually Refuse the Award
We’ve seen this dynamic before. Macklemore’s cringeworthy Instagram post of his text message to Kendrick Lamar after the Grammys in 2014: “You got robbed. I wanted you to win.”
Then there’s Adele winning Album of the Year at the Grammys in 2017 and using her speech to praise Queen Bey: “My artist of my life is Beyoncé,” and “Lemonade” was “so monumental” and “beautiful and soul-bearing,” she gushed.
And who can forget 2017, when Casey Affleck — remember him? — swore that Denzel Washington was “one of the first people who taught me how to act” after the Academy crowned him Best Actor for “Manchester by the Sea” instead of Washington, who’d been nominated for “Fences.”
None of the white winners — not one — ever actually refuse the award. You’ll never see them hand it back, insisting the Black nominee deserves it more. America is pretty damn fantastic at admiration without redistribution. It’s comfortable and it costs nothing.
The One Time it Actually Happened (By Accident)
Remember the “Moonlight” moment at the 2017 Oscars? When the super-duper white fantasy film “La La Land” was mistakenly announced as Best Picture — and then the jubilant team of actors and producers had to hand over the Oscar trophy to Blackity Black Barry Jenkins for “Moonlight.”
So chaotic and awkward and so very satisfying.
“Sinners” raked in $368 million and is the highest grossing original film of the 2020s. To be clear, it didn’t walk away empty-handed from the Critics Choice Awards. It was recognized in meaningful ways — Best Casting and Ensemble, Best Original Screenplay for Ryan Coogler, and Best Score. Miles Caton who portrayed Sammie Moore won Best Young Actor. Those awards matter.
But merit had a ceiling. The critics just couldn’t see Michael B. Jordan as the best actor in the best film of 2025.
Best Actor–Level Craft
To be fair, I haven’t seen “Marty Supreme” — it only came out on Christmas Day. But maybe Chalamet really is that good. It’s been reported that he practiced ping pong for several years for the role. But I saw “Sinners” five times in theaters — and unlike Chalamet, I didn’t need to stay for the after-credits scene to understand and marvel at what Jordan had done onscreen.
Jordan has spent years building a body of work rooted in the Black American experience: “Fruitvale Station,” the “Creed” films, “Black Panther,” and now “Sinners.” His excellence is consistent. Smoke and Stack, the twin roles he played in “Sinners,” were two different people, with a separation so clean I often forgot it was just one actor. Jordan then took it to the next level by adding a third character into the mix: Stack’s vampiric transformation. That’s Best Actor–level craft.
Should we prepare for Michael B. Jordan to not be nominated or even lose at the SAG Awards — now branded as the Actor Awards? Those honors are decided by peers. Actors judging actors. Game recognizing game.
But America is very good at knowing excellence when it sees it — and working overtime to keep it in its place.