AwardsWatch Podcast Ep. 256: Reviewing ‘Anora’ Plus Our Favorite Palme d’Or Winners
On episode 256 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch contributors Dan Bayer and Josh Parham to discuss Sean Baker’s latest film, Anora, and discuss their favorite films to win the prestigious Palme d’Or award.
While we are coming towards the end of fall festival season, one of the hottest festival films of the year was the winner of the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival back in May. Anora, written and directed by Sean Baker and starring Mikey Madison, has been the one of the most talked about films of the year, garnering praise from audiences around the world and setting itself up for a big run later this Oscar season. But just how good is the film? Ryan, Josh, and Dan breakdown Baker’s latest, what they think of the film overall, the performances, mild discussion on the film’s ending, and where they see its path in the Oscar race moving forward. Once they were done with that, they moved into a larger discussion over their favorite past winners of the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival, the Palme d’Or. With some of the most influential, celebrated films of their respected years winning the award, the Palme d’Or is a signal for excellence in cinema. Some of the films discussed ranged from All That Jazz, Taxi Driver, Pulp Fiction, The Piano, Brief Encounter, Blow Up, The Conversation, Parasite, Shoplifters, Barton Fink, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, The Tree of Life, and many more.
You can listen to The AwardsWatch Podcast wherever you stream podcasts, from iTunes, iHeartRadio, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify, Audible, Amazon Music and more.
This podcast runs 1h49m. We will be back next to do discuss the main trifecta of fall festivals – Telluride, Toronto and New York – then in two weeks for AFI FEST Film Festival and take a look at the Oscar race after each.
Music: “Modern Fashion” from AShamaleuvmusic (intro), “B-3” from BoxCat Games Nameless: The Hackers RPG Soundtrack (outro).
- AwardsWatch Podcast Ep. 344: New Oscar Rules and Preview of the 79th Cannes Film Festival with Special Guest Christina Birro - May 5, 2026
- On the Shelf: ‘Highest 2 Lowest,’ ‘John Singleton’s Hood Trilogy,’ a Nancy Meyers Double Feature and Action-Packed Spectacles Highlight the Physical Media releases for the Week of April 27 - April 27, 2026
- AwardsWatch Podcast Ep. 342: Reviewing ‘Mother Mary’ - April 20, 2026

Interview: Boots Riley on Collecting an Eclectic Cast and How ‘I Love Boosters’ is Like Richard Scarry’s ‘Busy, Busy Town’
Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal to Reunite for ‘Hold On To Your Angels’ from Benh Zeitlin
2027 Golden Globes Reveal Key Dates, Adds AI Rules, Expands Podcast Pool
How Judith Light Psychs Us Out in ‘The Terror: Devil in Silver’ and the Secret to Her Long-lasting Career [VIDEO INTERVIEW]