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Anora wins Best Picture at 97th Academy Awards

Anora wins Best Picture at the 97th Academy Awards amidst a surprising indie victory over blockbuster competitors.

Published

11 months ago

March 3, 2025

Ahron Young

Anora wins Best Picture at the 97th Academy Awards amidst a surprising indie victory over blockbuster competitors.

In Short

Anora, directed by Sean Baker, won best picture at the 97th Academy Awards, following its success at Cannes. Mikey Madison won best actress for her role in the film, as the event celebrated a diverse range of talent.

Anora was named best picture at the 97th Academy Awards, directed by Sean Baker.

This unexpected win comes after it also won the Palme d’Or at Cannes. The film, set in Brooklyn, tells the story of an erotic dancer who elopes with a Russian oligarch’s son and was produced for US$6 million.

Best Adapted Screenplay winner Peter Straughan for CONCLAVE at the 97th #Oscars.
Photo Credit: Matt Sayles

Oscar voters opted for Anora over larger films like Wicked and Dune: Part Two, joining other indie best picture winners in recent years. Mikey Madison won best actress for her role in Anora, defeating favourite Demi Moore.

The cast and crew, including Baker, accepted the best picture award at the ceremony. Sean Baker also won best director, best original screenplay, and best editing, advocating for the importance of theatrical releases in his speech.

Adrien Brody received his second Oscar for best actor for his performance in The Brutalist. Kieran Culkin won the first award of the night for A Real Pain.

Zoe Saldaña earned her first Academy Award for best supporting actress in Emilia Pérez.

Host Conan O’Brien opened the show with his trademark humour, while Morgan Freeman paid tribute to Gene Hackman, who had recently passed away.

The winners list featured Anora as the standout with various other films, marking a diverse range of talent recognised at this year’s awards.

ALL THE 2025 OSCARS WINNERS

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 actor

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

Best actress

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

Best director

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

Best supporting actress

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

Best supporting actor

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

Best adapted screenplay

A Complete Unknown – Jay Cocks and James Mangold
Conclave – Peter Straughan
Emilia Pérez – Jacques Audiard
Nickel Boys – RaMell Ross and Joslyn Barnes
Sing Sing – Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar

Best original screenplay

Anora – Sean Baker – WINNER
The Brutalist – Brady Corbet and Mona Fastvold
A Real Pain – Jesse Eisenberg
September 5 – Moritz Binder, Tim Fehlbaum, Alex David
The Substance – Coralie Fargeat

Best original song

Never Too Late – Elton John: Never Too Late
El Mal – Emilia Pérez – WINNER
Mi Camino – Emilia Pérez
Like A Bird – Sing Sing
The Journey – The Six Triple Eight

Best original score

The Brutalist – WINNER
Conclave
Emilia Pérez
Wicked
The Wild Robot

Best international feature

I’m Still Here – Brazil – WINNER
The Girl with the Needle – Denmark
Emilia Pérez – France
The Seed of the Sacred Fig – Germany
Flow – Latvia

Best animated feature

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

Best documentary feature

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

Best costume design

Wicked – WINNER
Nosferatu
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Gladiator II

Best make-up and hairstyling

A Different Man
Emilia Pérez
Nosferatu
The Substance – WINNER
Wicked

Best production design

Wicked – WINNER
The Brutalist
Dune: Part Two
Nosferatu
Conclave

Best sound

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

Best film editing

Anora – WINNER
The Brutalist
Conclave
Emilia Pérez
Wicked

Best cinematography

The Brutalist- WINNER
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Pérez
Maria
Nosferatu

Best visual effects

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

Best live action short

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

Best animated short

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

Best documentary short

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

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