Will Smith reacts to Michael B. Jordan’s Oscars shout-out

Will Smith is celebrating Michael B. Jordan after the younger star gave him a heartfelt mention during his Best Actor acceptance speech at the 2026 Academy Awards.

Jordan, 39, took home his first Oscar for his performance in Sinners, marking a major milestone in his career. While accepting the award, he paid tribute to the Black actors who paved the way before him, name-checking industry legends.

“I stand here because of the people that came before me: Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, Halle Berry, Jamie Foxx, Forest Whitaker, Will Smith.”

“And to be amongst those giants, amongst those great greats, amongst my ancestors, amongst my guys,” he continued.

The moment didn’t go unnoticed by Smith, 57, who responded the following day with a warm message on Instagram. Sharing a photo of Jordan holding his Oscar, Smith wrote, “CONGRATS, Beloved. Makin’ History!”

Smith himself has a long history with the Academy Awards, earning nominations for Ali, The Pursuit of Happyness and King Richard, winning Best Actor for the latter in 2022. His victory that year, however, was overshadowed by his onstage altercation with comedian Chris Rock, which resulted in Smith being banned from attending the Oscars for 10 years.

He’ll be able to return to the award show again in 2033.

Sinners entered the night as the most-nominated film, earning a record-breaking 16 nominations and ultimately taking home multiple awards, including Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography and Best Original Score.