2025 Oscars: ‘Anora’ Wins Best Picture, Take Home Five Oscars

The 97th Oscars have officially come to a close with Anora taking home Hollywood’s top prize, alongside winning Best Director, Best Actress, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Film Editing. Neon’s Palme d’Or winning film seemed to become the front-runner going into the night as it collected the PGA, DGA, and WGA awards, signaling to a dominating performance come Oscar night. Baker became the first person to win four Oscars in one ceremony for a single film. Walt Disney was the other person to win four Oscars in one night, but he won for multiple categories.

Madison, who was in a competitive race between Demi Moore and Fernanda Torres, was able to pull out the film, proving that if the race is tight in the acting categories, it’s best to stick with the performance for the film that has the best chance to win Best Picture, much like recent acting winners Frances McDormand (Nomadland), Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All at Once), and Cillian Murphy (Oppenheimer). The Best Picture win for Anora also signals a noticeable change in the types of films the Academy is selecting for Best Picture, as four out of the last five winners have be female led stories, with three of those taking home the Best Actress prize. 

The Oscar ceremony was held live on ABC tonight from the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood and it started off in Wicked fashion, as actress Ariana Grande came out and sang a beautiful of “Over the Rainbow ” from The Wizard of Oz, in a ruby red slipper dress, while her co-star Cynthia Ervio sang “Home” from The Wiz before the two came together for an incredible duet on “Defying Gravity” from Wicked. Fan of the film or not, it was a perfect way to kick off the show. 

The event was hosted by Conan O’Brien for the first time and also for the first time, it will also stream live on Hulu. Started the night with a pre-recorded bit about coming out of Demi Moore via The Substance, before announcer Nick Offerman introduced the legendary late night host as “4-time Oscar viewer Conan O’Brien.” O’Brien delivered an old school, Billy Crystal-esque monologue that showcased his signature brand of comedy that has made him a household name for over three decades. His best joke of the night centered around the controversy with Emilia Pérez actress Karla Sofía Gascón’s tweets, with O’Brien stating that “Anora uses the f-word 479 times. That’s 3 more than the record set by Karla Sofía Gascón’s publicist.” He also jokingly said that “Karla, if you’re going to tweet about the Oscars, remember, my name is Jimmy Kimmel.” He then went on to perform a musical number titled ‘I Won’t Waste Time,” featuring a sandworm from Dune 2 playing ”Chopsticks” and dancing Deadpool. This joke seemed to be aimed at the Academy’s recent obsession with the show’s runtime, and O’Brien winking at the people that hired him to run a tight ship. But besides a memorable opening, O’Brien mostly stayed out of the way, letting the show speak for itself.

The Oscars are always a hit or miss when it comes to the presentation. The Fab 5 presentation was used for the first time outside of the acting categories, for the Best Cinematography and Best Costume Design categories. This was mostly successful as stars from the nominated films came out and highlighted the nominees outstanding work that they were being honored for. Between this, clips being used during the acting and screenplay categories, as well as a more in-depth look at the film nominated for Best Picture throughout the night, it did feel like a celebration of the films; something that should continue to be expected moving forward. Besides the opening musical number, the show’s producers also stated that there would be two other “special” musical moments in the show that would replace the performances of the Best Original Song nominees. These “special” moments were far from it, as they were some of the worst moments of the night, with another misguild James Bond tribute feature performance by singer Lisa singing “Live and Let Die,” Doja Cat singing “Diamonds are Forever,” and RAYE sings “Skyfall,” and a tribute to late Quincy Jones with a rendition of “Ease on Down the Road” from The Wiz (too much Wiz for one night, if you ask me). While these tributes were nice to highlight some of the winners of the Governors Awards from earlier in the season, they just felt unnecessary. 

Presenters on the night included Dave Bautista, Gal Gadot, Andrew Garfield, Samuel L. Jackson, Alba Rohrwacher, Zoe Saldaña, Rachel Zegler, Joe Alwyn, Halle Berry, Sterling K. Brown, Penélope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Ana de Armas, Lily-Rose Depp, Robert Downey Jr., Elle Fanning, Whoopi Goldberg, Selena Gomez, Goldie Hawn, Scarlett Johansson, John Lithgow, Cillian Murphy, Connie Nielsen, Amy Poehler, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, June Squibb, Ben Stiller, Emma Stone, Oprah Winfrey and Bowen Yang, as well as surprise presenters Mick Jagger, Daryl Hannah, and a When Harry Met Sally reunion when stars Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan presented the Best Picture prize.

It’s been the wildest Oscar season in some time; full of traditional shocking snubs and surprises during the nominations phase. But when the winners were announced, and the dust settled on the 97th Oscars, the season came to celebratory end with one of the most efficient Oscars in some time. 

Here are the winners of the 97th Academy Awards, celebrating the films of 2024.

Best Picture

• • Anora (Alex Coco, Samantha Quan, and Sean Baker) – NEON (WINNER)

• • The Brutalist (Brady Corbet, D.J. Gugenheim, Brian Young, Andrew Morrison and Nick Gordon) – A24

• • A Complete Unknown (Fred Berger, James Mangold, and Alex Heineman) – Searchlight Pictures

• • Conclave (Tessa Ross, Juliette Howell, and Michael A. Jackman) – Focus Features

• • Dune: Part Two (Mary Parent, Cale Boyter, Tanya Lapointe, and Denis Villeneuve) – Warner Bros

• • Emilia Pérez (Pascal Caucheteux and Jacques Audiard) – Netflix

• • I’m Still Here (Maria Carlota Bruno and Rodrigo Teixeira) – Sony Pictures Classics

• • Nickel Boys (Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner and Joslyn Barnes) – Amazon MGM

• • The Substance (Coralie Fargeat and Tim Bevan & Eric Fellner) – MUBI

• • Wicked (Marc Platt) – Universal Pictures

Best Director

• • Sean Baker for Anora (WINNER)

• • Brady Corbet for The Brutalist

• • James Mangold for A Complete Unknown

• • Jacques Audiard for Emilia Pérez

• • Coralie Fargeat for The Substance

Actor in a Leading Role 

• • Adrien Brody for The Brutalist (WINNER)

• • Timothée Chalamet for A Complete Unknown

• • Colman Domingo for Sing Sing

• • Ralph Fiennes for Conclave

• • Sebastian Stan for The Apprentice

Actress in a Leading Role 

• • Cynthia Erivo for Wicked

• • Karla Sofía Gascón for Emilia Pérez

• • Mikey Madison for Anora (WINNER)

• • Demi Moore for The Substance

• • Fernanda Torres for I’m Still Here

Actor in a Supporting Role

• • Yura Borisov for Anora

• • Kieran Culkin for A Real Pain (WINNER)

• • Edward Norton for A Complete Unknown

• • Guy Pearce for The Brutalist

• • Jeremy Strong for The Apprentice

Actress in a Supporting Role 

• • Monica Barbaro for A Complete Unknown

• • Ariana Grande-Butera for Wicked

• • Felicity Jones for The Brutalist

• • Isabella Rossellini for Conclave

• • Zoe Saldaña for Emilia Pérez (WINNER)

Adapted Screenplay

• • James Mangold and Jay Cocks for A Complete Unknown

• • Peter Straughan for Conclave (WINNER)

• • Jacques Audiard (in collaboration with Thomas Bidegain, Léa Mysius & Nicolas Livecchi) for Emilia Pérez

• • RaMell Ross and Joslyn Barnes for Nickel Boys

• • Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar (screenplay and story) and Clarence Maclin and John “Divine G” Whitfield (story) for Sing Sing

Original Screenplay

• • Sean Baker for Anora (WINNER)

• • Brady Corbet and Mona Fastvold for The Brutalist

• • Jesse Eisenberg for A Real Pain

• • Moritz Binder, Tim Fehlbaum, & Alex David for September 5

• • Coralie Fargeat for The Substance

Film Editing

• • Sean Baker for Anora (WINNER)

• • Dávid Jancsó for The Brutalist

• • Nick Emerson for Conclave

• • Juliette Welfling for Emilia Pérez

• • Myron Kerstein for Wicked

Cinematography 

• • Lol Crawley for The Brutalist (WINNER)

• • Greig Fraser for Dune: Part Two

• • Paul Guilhaume for Emilia Pérez

• • Ed Lachman for Maria

• • Jarin Blaschke for Nosferatu

Production Design 

• • The Brutalist (production design: Judy Becker; set decoration: Patricia Cuccia)

• • Conclave (production design: Suzie Davies; set decoration: Cynthia Sleiter)

• • Dune: Part Two (production design: Patrice Vermette; set decoration: Shane Vieau)

• • Nosferatu (production design: Craig Lathrop; set decoration: Beatrice Brentnerová)

• • Wicked (production design: Nathan Crowley; set decoration: Lee Sandales) (WINNER)

Costume Design 

• • Arianne Phillips for A Complete Unknown

• • Lisy Christl for Conclave

• • Janty Yates and Dave Crossman for Gladiator II

• • Linda Muir for Nosferatu

• • Paul Tazewell for Wicked (WINNER)

Original Score

• • Daniel Blumberg for The Brutalist (WINNER)

• • Volker Bertelmann for Conclave

• • Clément Ducol and Camille for Emilia Pérez

• • John Powell and Stephen Schwartz for Wicked

• • Kris Bowers for The Wild Robot

Original Song

• • “El Mal” from Emilia Pérez (music by Clément Ducol and Camille; lyrics by Clément Ducol, Camille, and Jacques Audiard) (WINNER)

• • “The Journey” from The Six Triple Eight (music and lyrics by Diane Warren)

• • “Like a Bird” from Sing Sing (music and lyrics by Abraham Alexander and Adrian Quesada)

• • “Mi Camino” from Emilia Pérez (music and lyrics by Camille and Clément Ducol)

• • “Never Too Late” from Elton John: Never Too Late (music and lyrics by Elton John, Brandi Carlile, Andrew Watt, and Bernie Taupin)

Sound

• • A Complete Unknown (Tod A. Maitland, Donald Sylvester, Ted Caplan, Paul Massey, and David Giammarco)

• • Dune: Part Two (Gareth John, Richard King, Ron Bartlett, and Doug Hemphill) (WINNER)

• • Emilia Pérez (Erwan Kerzanet, Aymeric Devoldère, Maxence Dussère, Cyril Holtz, and Niels Barletta)

• • Wicked (Simon Hayes, Nancy Nugent Title, Jack Dolman, Andy Nelson, and John Marquis)

• • The Wild Robot (Randy Thom, Brian Chumney, Gary A. Rizzo, and Leff Lefferts)

Makeup and Hairstyling 

• • A Different Man (Mike Marino, David Presto, and Crystal Jurado)

• • Emilia Pérez (Julia Floch Carbonel, Emmanuel Janvier, and Jean-Christophe Spadaccini)

• • Nosferatu (David White, Traci Loader, and Suzanne Stokes-Munton)

• • The Substance (Pierre-Oliver Persin, Stéphanie Guillon, and Marilyne Scarselli) (WINNER)

• • Wicked (Frances Hannon, Laura Blount, and Sarah Nuth)

Visual Effects

• • Alien: Romulus (Eric Barba, Nelson Sepulveda-Fauser, Daniel Macarin, and Shane Mahan)

• • Better Man (Luke Millar, David Clayton, Keith Herft, and Peter Stubbs)

• • Dune: Part Two (Paul Lambert, Stephen James, Rhys Salcombe, and Gerd Nefzer) (WINNER)

• • Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (Erik Winquist, Stephen Unterfranz, Paul Story, and Rodney Burke)

• • Wicked (Pablo Helman, Jonathan Fawkner, David Shirk, and Paul Corbould)

Animated Feature Film 

• • Flow (Gints Zilbalodis, Matīss Kaža, Ron Dyens and Gregory Zalcman) (WINNER)

• • Inside Out 2 (Kelsey Mann and Mark Nielsen)

• • Memoir of a Snail (Adam Elliot and Liz Kearney)

• • Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (Nick Park, Merlin Crossingham and Richard Beek)

• • The Wild Robot (Chris Sanders and Jeff Hermann)

Documentary Feature Film 

• • Black Box Diaries (Shiori Itō, Eric Nyari, and Hanna Aqvilin)

• • No Other Land (Basel Adra, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal, and Yuval Abraham) (WINNER)

• • Porcelain War (Brendan Bellomo, Slava Leontyev, Aniela Sidorska, and Paula DuPré Pesmen)

• • Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat (Johan Grimonprez, Daan Milius, and Rémi Grellety)

• • Sugarcane (Julian Brave NoiseCat, Emily Kassie and Kellen Quinn)

International Feature Film 

• • Emilia Pérez (France) – directed by Jacques Audiard

• • Flow (Latvia) – directed by Gints Zilbalodis

• • The Girl with the Needle (Denmark) – directed by Magnus von Horn

• • I’m Still Here (Brazil) – directed by Walter Salles (WINNER)

• • The Seed of the Sacred Fig (Germany) – directed by Mohammad Rasoulof

Animated Short Film 

• • Beautiful Men (Nicolas Keppens and Brecht Van Elslande)

• • In the Shadow of the Cypress (Shirin Sohani and Hossein Molayemi) (WINNER)

• • Magic Candies (Daisuke Nishio and Takashi Washio)

• • Wander to Wonder (Nina Gantz and Stienette Bosklopper)

• • Yuck! (Loïc Espuche and Juliette Marquet)

Documentary Short Film 

• • Death by Numbers (Kim A. Snyder and Janique L. Robillard)

• • I Am Ready, Warden (Smriti Mundhra and Maya Gnyp)

• • Incident (Bill Morrison and Jamie Kalven)

• • Instruments of a Beating Heart (Ema Ryan Yamazaki and Eric Nyari)

• • The Only Girl in the Orchestra (Molly O’Brien and Lisa Remington) (WINNER)

Live Action Short Film

• • A Lien (Sam Cutler-Kreutz and David Cutler-Kreutz)

• • Anuja (Adam J. Graves and Suchitra Mattai)

• • I’m Not a Robot (Victoria Warmerdam and Trent) (WINNER)

• • The Last Ranger (Cindy Lee and Darwin Shaw)

• • The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent (Nebojša Slijepčević and Danijel Pek)

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Ryan McQuade

Ryan McQuade is the AwardsWatch Executive Editor and a film-obsessed writer in San Antonio, Texas. Raised on musicals, westerns, and James Bond, his taste in cinema is extremely versatile. He’s extremely fond of independent releases and director’s passion projects. Engrossed with all things Oscars, he hosts the AwardsWatch Podcast. He also is co-host of the Director Watch podcast. When he’s not watching movies, he’s rooting on all his favorite sports teams, including his beloved Texas Longhorns. You can follow him on Twitter at @ryanmcquade77.

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