The 97th Academy Awards have wrapped, and it was a historic night for independent cinema. Sean Baker’s Anora, a bold dramedy about a Brooklyn sex worker’s whirlwind marriage to a Russian oligarch’s son, dominated the night with five Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing, and Best Actress for Mikey Madison.

Baker, who became the first filmmaker to win four Oscars for the same film, used his Best Picture speech to encourage aspiring storytellers. “If you’re trying to make independent films, please keep doing it. We need more. This is proof,” he said.

Adrien Brody and Mikey Madison Score

Adrien Brody took home Best Actor for his role in The Brutalist, marking his second Oscar win after 22 years (he previously won for his performance in The Pianist). Playing a visionary architect navigating post-war America, Brody delivered an emotional speech that touched on resilience and acceptance. “I’m here once again to represent the lingering traumas and the repercussions of war and systematic oppression and of antisemitism and racism and othering,” Brody said. “I pray for a healthier and a happier and a more inclusive world. And I believe if the past can teach us anything, it’s a reminder to not let hate go unchecked. I love you and I appreciate you all. Let’s fight for what’s right.”

Meanwhile, Mikey Madison’s win for Best Actress stunned many, as Demi Moore (The Substance) had long been considered the frontrunner. A visibly shocked Madison called the win a “dream come true” and joked, “I’m probably going to wake up tomorrow.” She also took a moment to voice support for the sex worker community, a central theme in Anora.

Kieran Culkin and Zoe Saldaña Cement Their Oscar Runs

Kieran Culkin (A Real Pain) and Zoe Saldaña (Emilia Pérez) capped off dominant awards seasons by winning Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress, respectively. Culkin, who has been sweeping the category, kept things lighthearted, joking to his wife: “Let’s get cracking on those kids.”

Saldaña, tearing up on stage, expressed pride in her heritage: “My grandmother came to this country in 1961. I am a proud child of immigrant parents with dreams, dignity, and hardworking hands. I am the first American of Dominican origin to accept an Academy Award. And I know I will not be the last.”

Baker Ties Disney, ‘The Brutalist’ Wins Big in Craft Categories

With his four Oscars, Baker tied Walt Disney’s record for most wins in a single night. While Anora led the night, The Brutalist followed closely behind, taking Best Cinematography and Best Original Score in addition to Brody’s win.

Dune: Part Two continued its technical dominance, winning Best Sound and Best Visual Effects, while Wicked claimed Best Costume Design and Best Production Design.

International and Animation Milestones

Brazil scored its first-ever Oscar win, with I’m Still Here taking Best International Feature. In another major milestone, Latvia won its first Best Animated Feature Oscar with Flow – a surprising win over The Wild Robot.

Meanwhile, No Other Land, a documentary directed by a collective of Palestinian and Israeli filmmakers, won Best Documentary Feature, highlighting the power of global storytelling.

Anora’s Indie Triumph and Theatrical Battle Cry

Despite its massive Oscar haul, Anora stands as one of the lowest-grossing Best Picture winners in history, a testament to the Academy’s shift toward celebrating independent filmmaking. Baker closed out the night with a passionate plea to support movie theaters.

“During the pandemic, we lost nearly 1,000 screens in the US, and we continue to lose them regularly. If we don’t reverse this trend, we’ll be losing a vital part of our culture,” he said. “This is my battle cry. Filmmakers: Keep making films for the big screen. I know I will. Distributors: please focus first and foremost on the theatrical releases of your films.”

Here are all the winners and nominees of the 2025 Oscars:

Best Picture

• Anora – WINNER
• The Brutalist
• A Complete Unknown
• Conclave
• Dune: Part Two
• Emilia Pérez
• I’m Still Here
• Nickel Boys
• The Substance
• Wicked

Best Director

• Sean Baker — Anora – WINNER
• Brady Corbet — The Brutalist
• James Mangold — A Complete Unknown
• Jacques Audiard — Emilia Pérez
• Coralie Fargeat — The Substance

Best Actor

• Adrien Brody — The Brutalist – WINNER
• Timothée Chalamet — A Complete Unknown
• Colman Domingo — Sing Sing
• Ralph Fiennes — Conclave
• Sebastian Stan — The Apprentice

Best Actress

• Mikey Madison — Anora – WINNER
• Cynthia Erivo — Wicked
• Karla Sofía Gascón — Emilia Pérez
• Demi Moore — The Substance
• Fernanda Torres — I’m Still Here

Best Supporting Actor

• Kieran Culkin — A Real Pain – WINNER
• Yura Borisov — Anora
• Edward Norton — A Complete Unknown
• Guy Pearce — The Brutalist
• Jeremy Strong — The Apprentice

Best Supporting Actress

• Zoe Saldaña — Emilia Pérez – WINNER
• Monica Barbaro — A Complete Unknown
• Ariana Grande — Wicked
• Felicity Jones — The Brutalist
• Isabella Rossellini — Conclave

Best Original Screenplay

• Anora – WINNER
• The Brutalist
• A Real Pain
• September 5
• The Substance

Best Adapted Screenplay

• Conclave – WINNER
• A Complete Unknown
• Emilia Pérez
• Nickel Boys
• Sing Sing

Best International Feature

• I’m Still Here (Brazil) – WINNER
• The Girl With the Needle
• Emilia Pérez
• The Seed of a Sacred Fig
• Flow

Best Cinematography

• The Brutalist – WINNER
• Dune: Part Two
• Emilia Pérez
• Maria
• Nosferatu

Best Editing

• Anora – WINNER
• The Brutalist
• Conclave
• Emilia Pérez
• Wicked

Best Original Score

• The Brutalist – WINNER
• Conclave
• Emilia Pérez
• Wicked
• The Wild Robot

Best Animated Feature

• Flow – WINNER
• Inside Out 2
• Memoir of a Snail
• Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
• The Wild Robot

Best Visual Effects

• Dune: Part Two – WINNER
• Alien: Romulus
• Better Man
• Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
• Wicked

Production Design

• Wicked – WINNER
• The Brutalist
• Conclave
• Dune: Part Two
• Nosferatu

Best Costume Design

• Wicked – WINNER
• A Complete Unknown
• Conclave
• Gladiator II
• Nosferatu

Makeup and Hairstyling

• The Substance – WINNER
• A Different Man
• Emilia Pérez
• Nosferatu
• Wicked

Best Sound

• Dune: Part Two – WINNER
• A Complete Unknown
• Emilia Pérez
• Wicked
• The Wild Robot

Music (Original Song)

• “El Mal” from Emilia Pérez – WINNER; Music by Clément Ducol and Camille; Lyric by Clément Ducol, Camille, and Jacques Audiard
• “The Journey” from The Six Triple Eight
• “Like A Bird” from Sing Sing
• “Mi Camino” from Emilia Pérez
• “Never Too Late” from Elton John: Never Too Late;

Best Live Action Short

• I’m Not a Robot – WINNER
• A Lien
• Anuja
• The Last Ranger
• The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent

Best Animated Short

• In the Shadow of the Cypress – WINNER
• Beautiful Men
• Magic Candles
• Wander to Wonder
• Yuck!

Documentary Feature Film

• No Other Land – WINNER
• Black Box Diaries
• Porcelain War
• Soundtrack to a Coup d’État
• Sugarcane

Documentary Short Film

• The Only Girl in the Orchestra – WINNER
• Death by Numbers
• I Am Ready, Warden
• Incident
• Instruments of a Beating Heart