Colman Domingo Wins Best Supporting Actor for ‘Michael’

Awards season buzz has been building around the Michael Jackson biopic for months now, and this week proved that momentum is far from slowing down.

The film has already carved out a place as one of the year’s biggest box office success stories internationally, and now its acting achievements are starting to match that commercial dominance.

Colman Domingo has spent his career building a reputation as one of the most reliable character actors working today, earning acclaim across film, television, and theater long before signing on to play Joe Jackson in this highly anticipated biopic. His performance as the family patriarch has been one of the more closely watched elements of the film since its release, given how central that relationship is to Michael Jackson’s own story.

That anticipation paid off in a big way this week when the Hollywood Creative Alliance named Domingo the winner of Best Supporting Actor at the 2026 Astra Midseason Movie Awards. He beat out a competitive field that included Dustin Hoffman for Tuner, Dylan O’Brien for Send Help, Edward Norton for The Invite, Jack O’Connell for 28 Years Later, The Bone Temple, and James Ortiz for Project Hail Mary.

Domingo was not the only member of the film’s cast celebrating that night, as Jaafar Jackson also took home Best Actor for his own performance as Michael Jackson, marking two major acting victories for the biopic at a single ceremony. That kind of dual recognition speaks to how thoroughly both central performances have resonated with voters this early in the year, especially given the intense scrutiny that comes with portraying real members of one of music’s most famous families.

The Astra Midseason Movie Awards exist specifically to spotlight standout films and performances from the first half of the calendar year, giving industry watchers an early sense of who might remain part of the conversation once the more traditional fall awards season kicks into gear. Michael’s presence across two major acting categories suggests the film has already established itself as a serious contender heading into that stretch.

Project Hail Mary emerged as the evening’s biggest overall winner, claiming both Best Picture and Best Director honors for filmmakers Phil Lord and Chris Miller. Elsewhere, Inde Navarrette took home Best Actress for her breakout performance in the horror hit Obsession, while Penelope Cruz won Best Supporting Actress for her work in The Invite, which also claimed the night’s Best Screenplay award.

Domingo’s win adds to an already strong year for the veteran actor, whose career has spanned everything from Broadway to prestige film work over the past two decades. Portraying Joe Jackson required navigating a deeply complicated and often controversial figure in Michael Jackson’s life story, making this recognition feel especially significant given the difficulty of that assignment.

With Michael continuing to perform strongly at the international box office and now backed by two major acting wins, the film looks increasingly well-positioned to remain part of the broader awards conversation in the months ahead. Early season recognition like this does not guarantee further success down the line, but it does signal that voters are taking the film’s performances seriously, well before the more competitive fall campaign begins.

For Domingo specifically, this win continues a string of acclaimed performances that have made him one of the most respected actors of his generation. Whether this momentum carries through to larger ceremonies later this year remains to be seen, but it is certainly a strong starting point for the film’s awards campaign.

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