The movie’s 25-year-old star, Mikey Madison, was named best actress. The film also won best director for Sean Baker and trophies for original screenplay and editing.
Madison scored an upset over Demi Moore, who had been favored to win best actress for her role in “The Substance.”
“I grew up in Los Angeles, but Hollywood always felt so far away from me,” Madison said on stage. “To be here standing in this room today is really incredible.”
She said she wanted to “thank and honor the sex worker community.” She said, “I will continue to be an ally.”
“Anora” emerged as the winner in an unpredictable Oscars race that included papal thriller “Conclave,” Jewish immigrant story “The Brutalist” and blockbuster musical “Wicked.”
Adrien Brody claimed his second Academy Award, winning the best actor trophy for his role as a Jewish immigrant and architect who chases the American dream in “The Brutalist.”
Zoe Saldana was named best supporting actress for her role as the fixer for a Mexican drug lord in the Spanish-language Netflix musical “Emilia Perez.”
Zoe Saldana wins the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for Emilia Perez during the Oscars show at the 97th Academy Awards in Hollywood. Photo / ReutersKieran Culkin, who started acting as a child, received the best supporting actor award for playing one of two cousins who travel to Poland to study their family’s roots in “A Real Pain.”
“I have no idea how I got here,” Culkin said on stage at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. “I’ve been acting all my life. I never felt like this was my trajectory.”
Kieran Culkin receives the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for “A Real Pain” during the Oscars show at the 97th Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, U.S., March 2, 2025. Photo / Reuters”No Other Land,” a film showing the alliance that develops between a Palestinian activist and an Israeli journalist amid their peoples’ conflict on the occupied West Bank, won the documentary feature film Oscar on Sunday.
The prize for best animated feature went to independent film “Flow,” the first movie from Latvia to win an Oscar. Brazilian movie “I’m Still Here” received the best international feature award.
Nominees Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo opened the Oscars celebration with a “Wizard of Oz”-themed medley including the showstopping hit “Defying Gravity” from their film “Wicked.”
Selena Gomez reacts on the red carpet during the Oscars arrivals at the 97th Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, U.S., March 2, 2025.. Photo / ReutersThis year’s Oscars race has featured twists and turns, and no movie has dominated the precursor film awards.
Those in the running for best picture included “Anora”, “The Brutalist’, ‘A Complete Unknown’, ‘Conclave’, ‘Dune: Part Two’, ‘Emilia Pérez’, ‘I’m Still Here’, ‘Nickel Boys’, ‘The Substance’ and ‘Wicked.’
Netflix musical “Emilia Perez” headed into the ceremony with the most nominations. But its chances of victory dwindled when offensive social media posts surfaced from star Karla Sofia Gascon. The actress is the first openly transgender person nominated for an acting Oscar
Winners of the gold Oscar statuettes are chosen by the roughly 11,000 actors, producers, directors and film craftspeople who make up the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Behind the glitz, Hollywood is fighting a battle to keep its place at the center of the global film business. None of the 10 best picture contenders were filmed in Los Angeles, home to most major film companies for more than a century.
