The veteran actor received his first-ever Oscar nomination Thursday, landing a Best Supporting Actor nod at the 98th Academy Awards for his performance as Delta Slim in Sinners, Ryan Coogler’s genre-blending vampire thriller. For many in Hollywood, the recognition marks a long-overdue moment for a performer whose career has spanned decades without formal Academy acknowledgment.
Lindo, 73, has frequently found himself part of awards-season conversations in the past, notably for his roles in Spike Lee’s Malcolm X (1992) and Da 5 Bloods (2020). Yet those campaigns ultimately ended without nominations, an experience the actor has previously described as both sobering and disappointing.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly last year, Lindo said he learned not to invest emotionally in awards speculation, particularly after Da 5 Bloods received widespread acclaim but earned only a single Oscar nomination for Best Original Score. While he declined to speculate on why the film and his performance were overlooked, he acknowledged the disappointment was real. Still, conversations with Lee at the time reinforced what Lindo described as a simple but necessary resolve: to keep working.
That resolve paid off with Sinners, in which Lindo plays a seasoned Mississippi blues musician recruited to perform at the opening of a juke joint run by twin brothers Smoke and Stack, both portrayed by Michael B. Jordan. The film takes a supernatural turn when the venue becomes the target of a group of vampires, blending horror, music, and period drama.
Director Ryan Coogler has publicly praised Lindo’s work, calling the performance “incredible” and highlighting the actor’s presence and consistency on set. Critics and audiences echoed that enthusiasm, helping Sinners achieve a 97% critics’ score and 96% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Released in April, the film also proved to be a box-office standout, earning approximately $368 million worldwide—an exceptional result for an original, non-franchise release. As awards season unfolded, Sinners amassed significant recognition, including seven Golden Globe nominations, 17 Critics Choice nominations, and a record 21 nods from the Black Reel Awards. It was also named one of the year’s top 10 films by both the National Board of Review and the American Film Institute.
At the Oscars, Sinners made history with 16 nominations, surpassing previous records held by Titanic, La La Land, and All About Eve, each of which received 14.
As of publication, Lindo has not publicly commented on his nomination. However, in earlier remarks reflecting on his long career, he emphasized gratitude over validation, noting that continued work and audience engagement are never guaranteed.
The 2026 Academy Awards will be hosted by Conan O’Brien and air Sunday, March 15, at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT on ABC.