The 2025 Oscars saw Anora, directed by Sean Baker, dominate the night with five wins, including Best Picture. Baker himself made history by becoming the first individual to win four Oscars for a single film in one night: Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing, and a producing credit for Best Picture. This tied Walt Disney’s record for most Oscars won by one person in a single year, though Baker’s were all for Anora, unlike Disney’s across multiple projects.
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Best Picture: Anora beat out strong contenders like The Brutalist, Emilia Pérez, and Dune: Part Two. The film, a dramedy about a sex worker marrying a Russian oligarch’s son, resonated with its tender exploration of the American dream, aligning with recent Best Picture trends like Parasite and Moonlight.
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Best Director: Sean Baker (Anora) triumphed over Brady Corbet (The Brutalist), Jacques Audiard (Emilia Pérez), and others.
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Best Actress: Mikey Madison (Anora) won in an upset over Demi Moore (The Substance), ending a tight race where Moore had early precursor wins but Madison gained late momentum with BAFTA and Indie Spirit victories.
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Best Actor: Adrien Brody (The Brutalist) secured his second Oscar, edging out Timothée Chalamet (A Complete Unknown), who had hoped to break Brody’s record as the youngest Best Actor winner from his 2002 win for The Pianist.
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Best Supporting Actress: Zoe Saldaña (Emilia Pérez) won her first Oscar, delivering a tearful speech about her immigrant roots, marking her as the first American of Dominican origin to win an Academy Award.
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Best Supporting Actor: Kieran Culkin (A Real Pain) took home his first Oscar, opening the night with a censored, humorous speech referencing a promise from his wife to have more kids if he won.
Other notable wins included:
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Best International Feature: I’m Still Here (Brazil), the country’s first Oscar win, upset Emilia Pérez (France), which had 13 nominations but only secured two awards.
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Best Animated Feature: Flow (Latvia), a dialogue-free feline adventure, won over Inside Out 2 and The Wild Robot, giving Latvia its first Oscar.
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Best Documentary Feature: No Other Land, a Palestinian-Israeli collective’s look at displacement in the West Bank, won despite distribution challenges.
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Best Original Score: Daniel Blumberg (The Brutalist), a British composer, earned his first Oscar.
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Best Costume Design: Paul Tazewell (Wicked), the first Black man to win in this category.
Major Newsworthy Moments
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Sean Baker’s Historic Sweep: Baker’s four wins for Anora underscored a rare Academy embrace of an indie filmmaker known for low-budget works like Tangerine. His success highlighted Neon’s growing influence after Parasite’s 2020 win, though Anora’s $40 million global box office made it one of the lowest-grossing Best Picture winners ever.
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Conan O’Brien’s Hosting Debut: O’Brien brought levity with jabs at the show’s early 4 p.m. PT start (“everyone just had brunch”) and Emilia Pérez star Karla Sofía Gascón’s tweet controversy (“Karla, if you’re going to tweet about the Oscars, my name is Jimmy Kimmel”). A song about the ceremony’s length and an Adam Sandler cameo added flair.
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Tributes Amid LA Wildfires: The ceremony honored Los Angeles’ resilience after devastating wildfires that killed at least 29 and destroyed thousands of homes. Tributes included a montage of LA-filmed movies and recognition of firefighters, reflecting the city’s recent trauma.
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Wicked’s Opening Performance: Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo kicked off the show with a Wizard of Oz-inspired medley from Wicked, setting a high-energy tone despite neither winning acting awards (Grande was nominated for Best Supporting Actress).
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James Bond Tribute: A medley by Doja Cat, Lisa of Blackpink, and Raye honored the franchise, coinciding with producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson receiving the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award, shortly after handing creative control to Amazon.
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In Memoriam Highlights: Queen Latifah, Whoopi Goldberg, and Oprah Winfrey led a tribute to Quincy Jones, while Morgan Freeman honored Gene Hackman, both recently deceased. The segment resonated deeply with attendees.
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Emilia Pérez’s Mixed Night: Despite leading with 13 nominations, Emilia Pérez won only Best Supporting Actress (Saldaña) and Best Original Song (“El Mal”). Gascón’s controversial past tweets hurt its momentum, though her Best Actress nomination marked a historic first for a transgender woman.
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Hulu Streaming Glitch: As major awards approached, Hulu’s stream cut out, frustrating viewers and sparking online chatter about technical reliability.
The 2025 Oscars reflected a tumultuous awards season with shifting frontrunners and external challenges like the LA wildfires. Anora’s dominance signaled a continued Academy appetite for bold, indie storytelling, while victories for The Brutalist (three wins) and first-time winners like Saldaña and Tazewell highlighted diversity and fresh talent. Political commentary was muted compared to past years, with implicit nods to “chaotic times” rather than direct Trump references. The night balanced glamour with gravitas, cementing its place as a memorable cap to an unpredictable race.