Oscars 2025 Winners: ‘Anora’ Leads With 5 Wins Followed by ‘The Brutalist’ With 3

“Anora,” a dramedy about a sex worker who marries the pampered son of a Russian oligarch, triumphed at the 97th Academy Awards on Sunday, winning five Oscars, including the prize for best picture. Its victory capped a tumultuous awards season, one that cycled through frontrunners at a dizzying pace with contenders like “Emilia Pérez” and “The Brutalist” seeing their fortunes rise and fall as controversies over everything from offensive tweets to the use of AI upended their campaigns.

It was also a race that unfolded during one of the worst natural disasters in Los Angeles history, something that the Oscars reflected with tributes to the firefighters who came to the aid of communities impacted by the wildfires, as well as with a montage highlighting the many films shot in the city, from “The Long Goodbye” to “Licorice Pizza.”

Sean Baker, the maverick behind “Anora,” was recognized for producing, directing, editing and writing the film’s screenplay, becoming the first person to win four Oscars for the same movie. It was an extraordinary embrace by the entertainment industry of a filmmaker who has largely operated outside of it, making low-budget fare like “Tangerine” and “The Florida Project.” Baker’s latest film was a favorite with critics and its Oscar success is a statement-making moment for Neon, the indie distributor behind “Anora,” which previously guided “Parasite” to a best picture statue in 2020.

However, having earned $40 million globally, “Anora” also ranks as one of the lowest-grossing best picture winners in history. But most of the movies that the Oscars honored this year were made by independent producers and companies. It’s a sign of how averse studios, which focus most of their resources on franchise fare, have become to producing the kind of adult-oriented films that dominate awards season. Those blockbusters that received best picture nominations, such as “Dune: Part Two” and “Wicked,” only scored wins in technical categories.

Adrien Brody (“The Brutalist”) and Mikey Madison (“Anora”) took the top acting honors. Brody, a previous winner for “The Pianist,” played a brilliant, but troubled architect, while Madison scored an upset victory for her portrayal of an exotic dancer under pressure to get an annulment from her rich husband.

A shocked Madison, who had been widely expected to lose the award to “The Substance’s” Demi Moore, said, “I grew up in Los Angeles, but Hollywood always felt so far away from me, so to be here, standing in this room today is really incredible.” She went on to pledge her support to the sex worker community, calling herself, “an ally.”

Brody’s win, one of three prizes for “The Brutalist,” came after a series of setbacks had seen him shunted aside by the movie business. It was a change in fortunes he referenced while accepting his award. “Acting is a very fragile profession,” Brody, who had to hand his gum to his partner Georgina Chapman before taking the stage, said. “No matter where you are in your career, no matter what you’ve accomplished, it can all go away. And I think that what makes this night most special is the awareness of that. And the gratitude that I have to still do the work that I love.”

Kieran Culkin (“A Real Pain”) was named best supporting actor for his turn as a troubled man on a tour of Poland with his cousin, while Zoe Saldaña (“Emilia Pérez”) won best supporting actress for her performance as an attorney who helps a cartel leader undergo gender affirmation surgery.

With tears streaming down her face, Saldaña declared herself “a proud child of immigrant parents.” She also noted “I am the first American of Dominican origin to accept an Academy Award, and I know I will not be the last.”

In a freewheeling speech, Culkin dropped an f-bomb and reminded his wife, Jazz Charton, that after he won an Emmy for “Succession” she had promised to have more children if he won an Oscar. “Let’s get cracking on those kids,” he said. “What do you say?”

Among other major winners, “I’m Still Here,” a family drama set during Brazil’s military dictatorship, was named best international feature. It was the first time the country had ever won the honor. “Flow,” a fantasy adventure from Latvia about a cat’s efforts to survive a flood, picked up best animated feature over the likes of “The Wild Robot” and “Inside Out 2.” And “No Other Land,” a look at the Israeli government’s efforts to force Palestinians from their homes in the West Bank, won best documentary despite struggling to get distribution. The film was directed by a Palestinian-Israeli collective of four activists

“We call on the world to take serious actions to stop the injustice and to stop the ethnic cleansing of Palestinian people,” said Basel Adra, a Palestinian journalist who is one of the film’s directors. “About two months ago, I became a father, and my hope to my daughter that she will not have to live the same life I’m living now.”

Conan O’Brien, a former late night TV staple turned podcasting impresario, hosted the Oscars for the first time, taking over from Jimmy Kimmel, who had emceed three previous editions. His opening monologue poked fun at everything from the fact that the show began at 4:00 in the afternoon (“everyone here just had brunch”) to “Emilia Pérez” star Karla Sofia Gascón’s social media scandal (“Karla, if you are going to tweet about the Oscars, my name is Jimmy Kimmel.”) There was also a song and dance number about the Academy Awards’ long running time, as well as an appearance by a hoodie-wearing Adam Sandler.

Yet Donald Trump went largely unmentioned, a departure from previous Oscar ceremonies during his first term and the interregnum between his administrations when his name was repeatedly invoked. There were a few allusions to “our chaotic times” and presenter Daryl Hannah offered support for Ukraine, whose leader recently had an uncomfortable Oval Office meeting, but most criticism of the president was implicit, rather than explicit.

The ceremony also included a tribute to the James Bond franchise, which made headlines last month after Amazon MGM bought creative control of the series from the Broccoli family. Introducing a musical performance featuring 007 theme songs like “Live and Let Die” and “Diamonds are Forever,” Halle Berry called Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, the producers of the films, “the heart and soul of this franchise.”

“Every generation does have their Bond, you know — the world revolves, it evolves, and so does he,” she added. “But that signature mix of danger, style, and intrigue, well, that’s timeless.”

Only now, in a sign of how much Hollywood itself is evolving, an e-retailing giant, and not a traditional studio, will determine the direction of the movie business’s most enduring franchise.

It was Baker who made the most passionate defense of the moviegoing tradition, pleading with the audience to support cinemas.

“Movie theaters, especially independently-owned theaters are struggling,” Baker said. “During the pandemic, we lost 1,000 screens in the U.S. And we continue to lose them regularly. If we don’t reverse this trend, we’ll be losing a vital part of our culture. This is my battle cry. Filmmakers, keep making films for the big screen. I know I will.”

See the full list of winners below.

Best Picture

“Anora,” (Neon) Alex Coco, Samantha Quan and Sean Baker, Producers (WINNER)

“The Brutalist” (A24)

“A Complete Unknown” (Searchlight) Fred Berger, James Mangold and Alex Heineman, Producers

“Conclave” (Focus Features) Tessa Ross, Juliette Howell and Michael A. Jackman, Producers

“Dune: Part Two” (Warner Bros.) Mary Parent, Cale Boyter, Tanya Lapointe and Denis Villeneuve, Producers

“Emilia Pérez” (Netflix)

“I’m Still Here” (Sony Pictures Classic)

“Nickel Boys” (Orion Pictures/Amazon MGM Studios)

“The Substance” (MUBI)

“Wicked” (Universal) Marc Platt, Producer

Best Director

Sean Baker, “Anora” (WINNER)

Brady Corbet “The Brutalist”

James Mangold, “A Complete Unknown”

Jacques Audiard, “Emilia Pérez”

Coralie Fargeat, “The Substance”

Actor in a Leading Role

Adrien Brody, “The Brutalist” (WINNER)

Timothée Chalamet, “A Complete Unknown”

Colman Domingo, “Sing Sing”

Ralph Fiennes, “Conclave”

Sebastian Stan, “The Apprentice”

Actress in a Leading Role

Cynthia Erivo, “Wicked”

Karla Sofía Gascón, “Emilia Pérez”

Mikey Madison, “Anora” (WINNER)

Demi Moore, “The Substance”

Fernanda Torres, “I’m Still Here”

Actor in a Supporting Role

Yura Borisov, “Anora”

Kieran Culkin, “A Real Pain” (WINNER)

Edward Norton, “A Complete Unknown”

Guy Pearce, “The Brutalist”

Jeremy Strong, “The Apprentice”

Actress in a Supporting Role

Monica Barbaro, “A Complete Unknown”

Ariana Grande, “Wicked”

Felicity Jones, “The Brutalist”

Isabella Rossellini, “Conclave”

Zoe Saldaña, “Emilia Pérez” (WINNER)

Adapted Screenplay

“A Complete Unknown”, Screenplay by James Mangold and Jay Cocks