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| Zoe Saldaña accepts the Oscar® for Actress in a Supporting Role at the 97th Oscars® Credit: Trae Patton. Copyright ©A.M.P.A.S. |
The 2025 Academy Awards, executive produced once again by Raj Kapoor, was marked by a series of memorable first-time wins, an unexpected upset, a strong debut from host Conan O’Brien (who had his own “moment”), and some outstanding live musical performances.
Independent film made a strong impact at the 97th Academy Awards, with Anora emerging as the big winner of the night, claiming five Oscar statuettes. Of these, four were awarded to its creator, Sean Baker, for Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Director, and Best Picture.
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Demi Moore arrives on the red carpet of the 97th Oscars® Credit: Etienne Laurent. Copyright ©A.M.P.A.S. |
The fifth Oscar for Anora went to Mikey Madison, who claimed the Best Actress in a Leading Role award — a win that caused the evening’s biggest upset. Many had anticipated that Demi Moore, a favorite to win for The Substance, would take home the trophy, especially after sweeping the rest of the awards season, including victories at the Golden Globes, Critics’ Choice Awards, and SAG Awards. For Moore, this would have been her first-ever Academy Award. Her loss to Madison was a significant surprise.
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Paul Tazewell poses backstage with the Oscar® for Costume Design at the 97th Oscars® Photo Credit: Al Seib. Copyright ©A.M.P.A.S. |
However, the night was also full of remarkable firsts. Paul Tazewell made history as the first African-American man to win the Oscar for Best Costume Design for Wicked. Zoe Saldana became the first woman of Dominican origin to win Best Supporting Actress for her role in Emilia Perez. Perhaps most impressively, Sean Baker became the first individual to win four Oscars for a single film in a single year. The only other person to achieve this feat was Walt Disney, who won four Oscars for four different films back in 1953.
Following Anora, The Brutalist secured three Oscars, with Adrian Brody winning Best Actor for his performance. This marked Brody’s second Oscar, 22 years after his first win for The Pianist. The film also took home awards for Best Original Score and Best Cinematography.
Several other films claimed multiple accolades. Wicked won Best Costume Design and Best Production Design; Emilia Perez earned Oscars for Best Original Song (“El Mal”) and Best Supporting Actress; and Dune: Part 2 took home awards for Best Sound and Best Visual Effects.
The Substance and Conclave each won one award: Best Makeup and Hairstyling for The Substance and Best Adapted Screenplay for Conclave.
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Maya Gnyp and Smriti Mundhra arrive on the red carpet of the 97th Oscars® Photo Credit: Etienne Laurent. Copyright ©A.M.P.A.S. |
On the South Asian front, both Adam J. Graves’s Anuja (Best Live Action Short) and Smriti Mundhra’s I Am Ready, Warden (Best Documentary Short) were not victorious, mirroring the fate of To Kill a Tiger from the previous year.
Despite the powerful backing of three prominent South Asian women in entertainment — Oscar-winner Guneet Monga Kapoor (Producer), Mindy Kaling (Producer), and Priyanka Chopra Jonas (Executive Producer) — Anuja could not overcome the eventual winner in the Live Action Short category, I Am Not a Robot, directed by Victoria Warmerdam and executive produced by two-time Oscar-winner Kim Magnusson.
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Meanwhile, Mundhra’s hard-hitting documentary I Am Ready, Warden, a poignant examination of redemption and retribution, was among the frontrunners for Best Documentary Short. Yet, voters seemed drawn to the more celebratory tone of The Only Girl in the Orchestra, which won the category.
This year, The Academy also made a significant change by forgoing live performances of the five nominated songs. Instead, they focused on powerful tributes and homages. Queen Latifah delivered an energetic cover of Quincy Jones’s “Ease on Down the Road,” while a tribute to James Bond’s iconic theme songs was performed by Doja Cat (“Diamonds Are Forever”), Blackpink's Lisa (“Live and Let Die”), and rising star Raye (“Skyfall”).
 Conan O'Brien hosts the live ABC telecast of the 97th Oscars® Photo Credit: Trae Patton. Copyright ©A.M.P.A.S. |
As for Conan O'Brien, the host’s humor and sharp wit were a consistent highlight of the evening. However, some of his attempts to express gratitude in Hindi, Spanish, and Chinese garnered mixed reactions. His efforts to connect with the global audience were appreciated, but the responses from India and China were critical, particularly regarding his mispronunciations in Hindi and Chinese, which many felt were “butchered.”
The 2025 Oscars presented a different kind of night, one that celebrated independent filmmaking and left you with a sense of optimism, setting the tone for the rest of the year.
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Sean Baker poses backstage with his Oscars® at the 97th Oscars® Credit/Provider Etienne Laurent. Copyright ©A.M.P.A.S. |
Here is the complete list of winners of the 2025 Oscars: https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2025
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