At the 97th Academy Awards, romantic comedy “Anora” swept five awards, including three in major categories.
Directed by Sean Baker, “Anora”—which follows the tumultuous marriage between a sex worker and the son of a young Russian oligarch—entered the ceremony as one of the most nominated films. By the end of the night, it emerged as the biggest winner, claiming Best Film Editing, Best Original Screenplay, Best Actress (Mikey Madison), Best Director (Sean Baker), and the night’s top honor, Best Picture.
With these wins, Baker became the first person to win four Academy Awards in a single night for the same film. The victory also marked Madison’s first major acting award. For Baker, “Anora”’s triumph follows his Palme d’Or win at the 77th Cannes Film Festival in May 2024, cementing his dominance this awards season.
In the race for Best Picture, “Anora” faced strong competition from Edward Berger’s “Conclave”, Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune: Part Two”, Jon M. Chu’s “Wicked”, and Brady Corbet’s “The Brutalist”. Despite the tough field, “Anora” clinched the win, capping off a triumphant run that also saw it gross $41 million against a modest $6 million budget.
Other films had their moments of glory. “Wicked”’s ten nominations resulted in two wins: Best Costume Design and Best Production Design. The former made Paul Tazewell the first Black man to win in the category. Emilia Pérez earned Best Actress (Zoe Saldaña) and Best Original Song (“El Mal”). “The Brutalist” took home Best Original Score, while its star Adrien Brody edged out Timothée Chalamet, Colman Domingo, Ralph Fiennes, and Sebastian Stan to win Best Actor.
Below are the major winners of the 2025 Academy Awards
Best Picture: “Anora”
Best Actress: Mikey Madison (“Anora”)
Best Actor: Adrien Brody (“The Brutalist”)
Best Supporting Actress: Zoe Saldana (“Emilia Perez”)
Best Supporting Actor: Kieran Culkin (“A Real Pain”)
Best Director: Sean Baker (“Anora”)
Best International Feature: “I’m Still Here” (Brazil)
Best Animated Feature: “Flow”
Best Original Screenplay: “Anora” (Sean Baker)
Best Adapted Screenplay: “Conclave” (Peter Straughan)
Best Original Song: El Mal (“Emilia Perez”)
Best Original Score: “The Brutalist”
Best Costume Design: “Winner” (Paul Tazewell)
Best Make-up and Hairstyling: “The Substance”
Best Production Design: “Wicked”
Best Film Editing: “Anora”
Best Cinematography: “The Brutalist”
Best Visual Effects: “Dune: Part Two”