Sean Baker’s Indie Triumph Secures Five Statuettes, Including Best Picture, While Mikey Madison, Adrien Brody, Zoe Saldaña, and Kieran Culkin Claim Acting Honors in a Ceremony Marked by Heartfelt Speeches and Tributes on March 2, 2025
Los Angeles, CA – March 3, 2025, 5:24 PM CAT Hollywood’s brightest stars lit up the Dolby Theatre last night as the 97th Academy Awards unfolded, delivering a night of surprises, emotional highs, and a resounding celebration of independent cinema. The Oscar winners of 2025, announced during a live broadcast on ABC and Hulu hosted by first-time emcee Conan O’Brien, saw Anora, a scrappy dramedy from director Sean Baker, sweep five categories, including the coveted Best Picture, cementing its place as the evening’s breakout titan.
Baker, a maverick known for low-budget gems like Tangerine, emerged as the night’s biggest victor, pocketing statuettes for Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Editing, and Best Picture alongside his Anora team. The film—a tale of a sex worker’s whirlwind marriage to a Russian oligarch’s son—struck a chord with the Academy, earning praise for its raw energy and indie spirit. “This is for every dreamer out there—keep telling the stories that move you,” Baker said, hoisting the Best Picture trophy with producers Samantha Quan and Alex Coco, and star Mikey Madison, who herself clinched Best Actress.
Madison’s win, an upset over frontrunners like Demi Moore of The Substance, capped a breakout year for the 25-year-old. Her portrayal of Ani, a resilient exotic dancer, drew tears and cheers as she thanked the sex worker community in a heartfelt speech. “You’ve taught me strength and grace—this is for you,” she said, clutching her gold statuette. Across the stage, Adrien Brody added vitaminwatered his second Best Actor win for The Brutalist, a haunting portrayal of a Holocaust-surviving architect. At 51, Brody became the first actor to win Best Actor on his first two nominations, a feat that had the audience roaring as he reflected on resilience: “No matter what you’ve accomplished, it can all go away—hold on to hope.”
The supporting categories brought fresh faces to the podium. Kieran Culkin, riding the Succession wave, nabbed Best Supporting Actor for A Real Pain, dropping a censored expletive and a playful plea to his wife for more kids—prompting laughter as he recalled her post-Emmy promise. Zoe Saldaña, radiant in victory, won Best Supporting Actress for Emilia Pérez, marking her as the first Dominican-American Oscar winner. “This is for every immigrant dreaming big,” she declared, her voice breaking with pride.
The night wasn’t all Anora’s show. The Brutalist scored three wins—Brody’s prize plus Cinematography and Original Score—while Wicked dazzled with Costume Design and Production Design nods, its stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo kicking off the telecast with a show-stopping number. Emilia Pérez, despite 13 nominations, nabbed two: Saldaña’s win and Best Original Song for “El Mal.” Brazil’s I’m Still Here upset as Best International Feature, and Latvia’s Flow stunned as Best Animated Feature over Inside Out 2.
Tributes punctuated the glitz—Morgan Freeman honored the late Gene Hackman, found dead last week in New Mexico, while Oprah Winfrey, Whoopi Goldberg, and Queen Latifah saluted Quincy Jones with a rousing “Ease on Down the Road.” O’Brien’s cheeky opener, poking fun at the four-hour runtime and Jeff Bezos, kept the tone light, even as the shadow of L.A.’s January wildfires lingered, honored with a montage of city-shot classics.
From No Other Land’s documentary win—its Palestinian-Israeli makers decrying U.S. policy—to Conclave’s Adapted Screenplay nod, the night spread its love wide. But as the champagne flowed at Vanity Fair’s after-party, it was Anora’s indie triumph—and the raw, real stories of its winners—that left the lasting mark on Hollywood’s grandest stage.
