In a historic night for independent filmmaking, Sean Baker's low-budget comedy-drama "Anora" emerged as the biggest winner at the 97th Academy Awards, held on March 2, 2025, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. The film swept four major categories, including Best Picture, while other boundary-pushing independent films also claimed significant victories.
Anora accepts the Oscar® for Best Picture during the live ABC Telecast of the 97th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 2, 2025. Credit/Provider: Trae Patton / The Academy ©A.M.P.A.S.
'Anora' Makes History with Four-Award Sweep
Sean Baker, already known for critically acclaimed indie films like "The Florida Project" and "Red Rocket," finally captured the Academy's full attention with "Anora." The director personally took home an impressive four Oscars — for Best Picture, Director, Original Screenplay, and Editing — tying a record previously set by Walt Disney.
The film's star, 25-year-old Mikey Madison, delivered one of the night's biggest surprises by winning Best Actress, upsetting frontrunner Demi Moore ("The Substance"). Madison's victory created an unexpected parallel to Moore's film, in which an aging actress is replaced by a younger version of herself — art imitating life in a moment that wasn't lost on viewers.
Other Major Winners
Adrien Brody claimed Best Actor for his performance in "The Brutalist," Brady Corbet's ambitious period drama that also won for Best Cinematography and Best Original Score. Kieran Culkin continued his awards season dominance by taking home Best Supporting Actor for "A Real Pain," delivering a characteristically irreverent acceptance speech.
Zoe Saldaña won Best Supporting Actress for Jacques Audiard's "Emilia Pérez," which also claimed Best Original Song for "El Mal." In her emotional acceptance speech, Saldaña paid tribute to her family and expressed pride in winning for a Spanish-language role.
Adrien Brody accepts the Oscar® for Actor in a Leading Role during the live ABC Telecast of the 97th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 2, 2025. Credit/Provider: Phil McCarten / The Academy ©A.M.P.A.S.
Independent Cinema's Big Night
The 2025 Oscars marked a significant shift toward celebrating innovative, smaller-budget films. "Flow," a dialogue-free animated feature from Latvia created with open-source software, won Best Animated Feature, beating major studio productions like "Inside Out 2" and "The Wild Robot."
The documentary "No Other Land," about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, won Best Documentary Feature in a powerful moment that saw its Palestinian and Israeli co-directors deliver moving speeches addressing the ongoing situation in Gaza and the West Bank.
Meanwhile, Walter Salles' Brazilian drama "I'm Still Here" claimed Best International Feature Film, further emphasizing the global scope of the ceremony.
Conan O'Brien's Hosting Debut
First-time Oscar host Conan O'Brien brought his trademark self-deprecating humor to the ceremony, opening with a spoof of "The Substance" and delivering a monologue that balanced industry jokes with earnest reminders of why the Oscars matter in turbulent times.
Throughout the nearly four-hour broadcast, O'Brien maintained energy with bits that included a fake "CinemaStreams" commercial (featuring a Martin Scorsese cameo) promoting theatrical moviegoing and a musical number featuring the Dune sandworm playing "Chopsticks" on a piano.
Conan O'Brien hosts the live ABC telecast of the 97th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 2, 2025. Credit/Provider: Trae Patton / The Academy ©A.M.P.A.S.
Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo perform at the 97th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 2, 2025.
Credit/Provider: Phil McCarten / The Academy ©A.M.P.A.S.
Technical and Artistic Highlights
"Dune: Part Two" and "Wicked" collected technical awards, while Paul Tazewell made history as the first Black man to win Best Costume Design for his work on "Wicked." The ceremony also featured memorable musical performances, including an Oz-themed opening medley with Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, and a tribute to the late Quincy Jones.
A James Bond tribute segment featuring performances of classic theme songs drew some criticism for its timing, coming shortly after the franchise's longtime custodians sold the property to Amazon — especially in a ceremony where multiple winners advocated for preserving theatrical exhibition.
A New Era for the Academy
The 97th Academy Awards demonstrated how the organization's efforts to diversify its voting membership have transformed the kinds of films being recognized. With victories for challenging independent films like "Anora," "The Brutalist," and international works from Latvia, Brazil, and the Middle East, the 2025 Oscars signaled that the Academy is embracing a broader, more global vision of cinematic excellence.
As Sean Baker noted in his impassioned acceptance speech advocating for theatrical exhibition: "Filmmakers keep making films for the big screen. I know I will."
Oscars