Ryan Coogler Makes BAFTA History in Original Screenplay

Photographed by Gareth Cattermole / Getty

Ryan Coogler has become the first Black man to win Best Original Screenplay at the BAFTA Awards, marking a historic moment within one of the most established categories in British film recognition.

The Original Screenplay award has long celebrated bold storytelling and fresh narrative voices, yet for decades Black writers, despite shaping global cinema in undeniable ways, had not been recognized in this lane at BAFTA’s highest level. Coogler’s win shifts that record.

Filmmakers such as Steve McQueen and Barry Jenkins have earned significant BAFTA recognition across directing, producing, and adapted screenplay categories. Jordan Peele, whose work has redefined the cultural and commercial possibilities of genre writing, has also received major international acclaim.

However, Best Original Screenplay remained a space where Black male writers had not secured a win until now. Coogler’s recognition places his name directly into the official record of the category’s evolution.

From early work like Fruitvale Station to franchise-defining projects such as Black Panther, Coogler’s storytelling has consistently centered layered characters, political awareness, and emotional precision without sacrificing scale. His scripts often balance intimacy with spectacle, grounding larger cultural conversations in personal stakes. This BAFTA win does not introduce Coogler as a writer. It formalizes what audiences and critics have long acknowledged: his voice carries weight.