
From left: Adrien Brody, Mikey Madison, Kieran Culkin and Zoe Saldaña. The Hollywood Reporter Newssource.
Hollywood’s biggest night unfolded at the 97th Academy Awards (Oscars 2025), where Anora took the top honors. A night full of surprises, emotional moments, and record-breaking wins. Hosted by Conan O’Brien, the ceremony celebrated the finest in cinema, with Anora securing five major awards, including Best Picture.
The grand event was held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood and aired live across multiple platforms.
Anora Takes the Top Prize
The drama Anora emerged as the night's biggest winner, securing Best Picture and four additional awards. Mikey Madison won Best Actress, while Sean Baker took home Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Film Editing for the film.
Major Acting Wins
In the acting categories, Adrien Brody won Best Actor for his role in The Brutalist. Kieran Culkin was honored as Best Supporting Actor for A Real Pain. Zoe Saldaña made history as the first American of Dominican descent to win an Oscar, securing Best Supporting Actress for Emilia Pérez.
Oscars 2025— Historic and Notable Wins
- Latvia won its first Oscar with Flow, which was awarded Best Animated Feature.
- Brazil celebrated its first-ever Academy Award, with I’m Still Here winning Best International Feature Film.
- No Other Land took home Best Documentary Feature.
- Peter Straughan won Best Adapted Screenplay for Conclave.
Technical and Creative Achievements
Several films received multiple awards for their artistic and technical excellence:
- The Brutalist won Best Cinematography and Best Original Score.
- Dune: Part Two secured Best Sound and Best Visual Effects.
- Emilia Pérez won Best Original Song for "El Mal."
- Paul Tazewell made history as the first Black man to win Best Costume Design for Wicked, which also won Best Production Design.
- The Substance won Best Makeup and Hairstyling.

Best Music (Original Song) Winner, “El Mal” from Emilia Pérez (Music by Clément Ducol and Camille; Lyric by Clément Ducol, Camille and Jacques Audiard)
Special Tributes and Performances
The night was packed with powerful moments, including:
- An emotional tribute to victims and heroes of the recent Los Angeles wildfires.
- A memorial for Hollywood legend Gene Hackman, led by Morgan Freeman.
- A musical homage to James Bond films, featuring Doja Cat, Lisa from Blackpink, and Raye.
- A celebration of Quincy Jones with Queen Latifah, Whoopi Goldberg, and Oprah Winfrey.
A Night of Glitches and Glory
Despite some technical issues on Hulu, which caused streaming disruptions, the ceremony was a celebration of cinematic brilliance. With 23 categories announced, the Oscars once again proved to be a platform for groundbreaking achievements in film.
Full List of Major Winners:
Best Picture – Anora

Darya Ekamasova, Lindsey Normington, Vache Tovmasyan, Karren Karagulian, Alex Coco, Mikey Madison, Mark Eydelshteyn, Samantha Quan, Luna Sofía Miranda, Sean Baker, Drew Daniels and Yura Borisov.
Best Director – Sean Baker (Anora)

Best Actor – Adrien Brody (The Brutalist)

Best Actress – Mikey Madison (Anora)

Mikey Madison accepts the best actress award for 'Anora' at 2025 Oscars
Best Supporting Actor – Kieran Culkin (A Real Pain)

Best Supporting Actress – Zoe Saldaña (Emilia Pérez)

Best Original Screenplay & Editing – Anora (Sean Baker)

With 'Anora' Sean Baker becomes the first person to win four Oscars for the same film.
Best Adapted Screenplay – Conclave (Peter Straughan)

Peter Straughan accepts the Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay) award for "Conclave" onstage during the 97th Annual Oscars at Dolby Theatre on March 02, 2025
Best Animated Feature – Flow

Gints Zilbalodis accepts the Animated Feature Film award for "Flow" onstage during the 97th Annual Oscars
Best Animated Short Film – In the Shadow of the Cypress

Shirin Sohani and Hossein Molayemi
Best International Feature Film – I’m Still Here (Brazil)

Walter Salles
Best Documentary Feature – No Other Land

(L-R) Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal, Basel Adra and Yuval Abraham accept the Documentary Feature Film award "No Other Land" onstage during the 97th Annual Oscars at Dolby Theatre on March 02, 2025
Best Documentary Short Film — The Only Girl in the Orchestra

Molly O’Brien and Lisa Remington
Best Sound – Dune: Part Two

Richard King, Ron Bartlett, and Gareth John.
Best Music (Original Score) – The Brutalist (Daniel Blumberg)

Daniel Blumberg posing with Oscar.
With fresh talent, historic wins, and unforgettable moments, the Oscars 2025 celebrated the best in cinema while setting new milestones in the industry.