Ryan Coogler recently clarified that his decision to decline an invitation to join the Academy in 2016 was “not out of animosity” in an interview with The New York Times.
After receiving the invitation for Academy membership, the Sinners director opted not to accept the offer, merely because he finds it “stressful” to judge the quality of films.
“It’s not out of animosity,” Coogler told the Times. “And I’m not good at judging things, bro. The act of ‘Hey, pick the best thing’ is very stressful for me, even when there’s no stakes involved.”
The 2026 Oscar contender explained that he prefers the behind-the-scenes work that goes into making movies to the glitz and glam of the entertainment industry. “People see the tuxedo, they see the red carpet, but it’s real blue-collar folks making these movies happen,” he added.
Coogler previously reflected on declining the Academy’s invite in conversation with The Hollywood Reporter in 2021, sharing the similar notion that he does not believe in judging films.
“I don’t buy into this versus that, or ‘this movie wasn’t good enough to make this list,’” Coogler said at the time. “I love movies. … For me, that’s good enough.”
He also noted that “if I’m going to be a part of organizations, they’re going to be labor unions, where we’re figuring out how to take care of each other’s families and health insurance. But I know that these things bring exposure.”
Coogler’s box office hit Sinners is projected to be a heavy hitter at the 2026 Academy Awards. THR‘s executive editor of awards Scott Feinberg predicts the film will land Coogler’s first nomination for best director, among a myriad of potential nods, including 13 categories where the film is a projected frontrunner (best picture, best actor for Michael Jordan and best original screenplay, to name a few).
“Most days, I’m wearing coveralls and Columbia gear, trying to find solutions that aggregate up to a story,” Coogler added in his NYT interview. “And that enabled me not to engage with any narratives around what it is that we do.”
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