The 97th Academy Awards delivered big wins, historic firsts, and plenty of laughs as Conan O’Brien took the stage for his first time as Oscars host. The comedian wasted no time skewering Hollywood’s elite, opening with: “Welcome to the Oscars, where we celebrate cinema the only way we know how—by making the winners walk half a mile to accept their awards.”
Later, he poked fun at the night’s frontrunner, saying, “Sean Baker won so many Oscars for Anora that the Academy is now investigating whether he directed the telecast too.”
And indeed, Anora stole the show, winning Best Picture and racking up five awards total. Sean Baker made history as the first filmmaker to win Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Film Editing all in the same night. Star Mikey Madison also took home Best Actress, cementing the indie drama’s dominance.
Meanwhile, Adrien Brody won Best Actor for The Brutalist, and Kieran Culkin finally got his Oscar moment with a Best Supporting Actor win for A Real Pain. Zoe Saldaña made history, becoming the first Dominican American to win Best Supporting Actress for Emilia Pérez.
Other major wins included Latvia’s first-ever Oscar for Best Animated Feature Flow, and Brazil’s first for Best International Feature (I’m Still Here). Peter Straughan claimed Best Adapted Screenplay for Conclave, while Paul Tazewell became the first Black winner of Best Costume Design for Wicked, which also won Best Production Design.
A Night of Music, Memories, and Mayhem
The ceremony was packed with show-stopping performances, kicking off with Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo singing “Defying Gravity” from Wicked. Doja Cat, Blackpink’s Lisa, and Raye electrified the stage with a tribute to the music of James Bond films, while Queen Latifah, Whoopi Goldberg, and Oprah Winfrey honored the late Quincy Jones.
But it wasn’t all glitz and glamour—Morgan Freeman led a moving tribute to Gene Hackman, who passed away last month. The Oscars also recognized the heroes and victims of the recent Los Angeles wildfires, adding a rare moment of solemnity to the night.
As expected, Conan kept the jokes rolling, quipping about the Academy’s latest attempt to shorten speeches: “Tonight’s winners have 45 seconds to thank their agents, families, and—oh, time’s up!” He even took a jab at Dune: Part Two, which won Best Sound and Best Visual Effects, saying, “Congratulations to Dune: Part Two for winning Best Sound. Now if only they could find a way to let me understand what the hell anyone is saying in those movies.”
From emotional speeches to unexpected laughs, the 2025 Oscars delivered a night to remember. Below is the full list of winners.
Best Picture
Anora
Best Director
Sean Baker – Anora
Best Actor
Adrien Brody – The Brutalist
Best Actress
Mikey Madison – Anora
Best Supporting Actor
Kieran Culkin – A Real Pain
Best Supporting Actress
Zoe Saldaña – Emilia Pérez
Best Original Screenplay
Anora – Sean Baker
Best Adapted Screenplay
Conclave – Peter Straughan
Best Animated Feature
Flow (Latvia’s first-ever Oscar win)
Best International Feature Film
I’m Still Here (Brazil’s first-ever Oscar win)
Best Documentary Feature
No Other Land
Best Cinematography
The Brutalist – Lol Crawley
Best Costume Design
Wicked – Paul Tazewell (First Black winner in this category)
Best Film Editing
Anora – Sean Baker
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
The Substance
Best Production Design
Wicked
Best Sound
Dune: Part Two
Best Visual Effects
Dune: Part Two
Best Original Score
The Brutalist – Daniel Blumberg
Best Original Song
“El Mal” – Emilia Pérez
Best Live-Action Short Film
I’m Not a Robot
Best Animated Short Film
In the Shadow of the Cypress
Best Documentary Short Film
The Only Girl in the Orchestra
The Geek is a working screenwriter, director and screenwriting instructor.
REELated:
A Complete Unknown, Wicked, Sing Sing are Music Supervisors Award winners
