And That's A Wrap! A Recap of The 2025 Oscars As Award Season Ends:

The 97th Academy Awards concluded this year’s award season with a sling of satisfying and unexpected success for those nominated. 




After months of anticipation, the big night had arrived. After new host Conan O’Brien brought some much-needed life into the event with stellar stand-up, the evening was one to remember. There were many venomous jabs at certain celebrities, including a back-and-forth with Adam Sandler, who nonchalantly turned up with a light blue hoodie, standing out from the crowd of tuxedos and gowns. 

Most of the evening’s grandest awards went to Sean Baker’s independent film, Anora. The movie, about a young sex worker discovering a life-changing opportunity with a client she falls in love with, swept through Best Director for Sean Baker, as well as Best Original Screenplay, Best Editing, and Best Picture. This staggering sweep makes Baker the first filmmaker to win four prizes for one film in Oscars history.




At the Film Independent Spirit Awards, Baker gave a speech that struck a chord with independent filmmakers struggling to ‘support themselves’ in the industry: 


“Indie film is struggling right now more than ever […] If you are a writer/director trying to break in right now, there’s a good chance you’re making a film for free or making next to nothing on production or sale. How do you support yourself with little or no income for 3 years?




“We are creating a product that creates jobs and revenue for the entire industry. We shouldn’t be barely getting by. Creatives that are involved with projects that span years have to begin getting higher — much higher — upfront fees, and again, because the back end simply can’t be relied upon any longer, we have to demand that. If not, indie films will simply become calling card films, and I know that’s not what I signed up for. So let’s demand what we’re worth.”


Baker must have felt utterly ecstatic with his accomplishments as he stood center stage with four of the big awards to his name. Major congratulations from all of us, sir!


Joining Baker in collecting gold was lead actress Mikey Madison, who took home Best Actress. Although I’ve been championing Demi Moore for her performance in body-horror The Substance, rising star Madison is more than a worthy alternative from her fearless attitude to what Hollywood can throw at her. 



The rest of the award winners were fairly predicted by most. Favored winners like Adrian Brody took Best Actor, his second since The Pianist. Zoe Saldana and Keiran Culkin finished the season with a streak of wins in the Supporting Actor and Actress categories. Conclave took Best Adapted Screenplay while Wicked soared with Production Design and Costumes. 


Here are the list of winners (highlighted in bold) among their nominees:


Best Picture 
Anora
The Brutalist
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
 Emilia Pérez
I’m Still Here
Nickel Boys
The Substance 
Wicked


Best Director
Sean Baker — Anora
Brady Corbet — The Brutalist
James Mangold — A Complete Unknown
Jacques Audiard — Emilia Pérez
Coralie Fargeat — The Substance


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


Best Actor
Adrien Brody — The Brutalist
Timothée Chalamet — A Complete Unknown
Colman Domingo — Sing Sing
Ralph Fiennes — Conclave
Sebastian Stan — The Apprentice 


Best Supporting Actress 
Monica Barbaro — A Complete Unknown
Ariana Grande-Butera — Wicked
Felicity Jones — The Brutalist
Isabella Rossellini — Conclave
Zoe Saldaña — Emilia Pérez


Best Supporting Actor
Kieran Culkin — A Real Pain
Yura Borisov — Anora 

Edward Norton — A Complete Unknown
Guy Pearce — The Brutalist
Jeremy Strong — The Apprentice


Best Original Screenplay
Anora
The Brutalist
A Real Pain
September 5
The Substance


Best Adapted Screenplay 
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
 Emilia Pérez
Nickel Boys
Sing Sing


Best International Feature Film
I’m Still Here
The Girl With the Needle
 Emilia Pérez
The Seed of the Sacred Fig
Flow


Best Animated Feature Film
Flow
Inside Out 2
Memoir of a Snail
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
The Wild Robot


Best Documentary Feature Film 
Black Box Diaries
No Other Land
Porcelain War
Soundtrack to a Coup D’Etat
Sugarcane


Best Original Score
The Brutalist
Conclave
 Emilia Pérez
Wicked
The Wild Robot


Best Original Song
“El Mal” — Emilia Pérez
“The Journey” — Six Triple Eight
“Like a Bird” — Sing Sing
“Mi Camino” — Emilia Pérez
“Never Too Late” — Elton John: Never Too Late


Best Cinematography
 The Brutalist
Dune: Part Two
 Emilia Pérez
Maria
Nosferatu


Best Production Design
The Brutalist
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Nosferatu
Wicked


Best Costume Design
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Gladiator II
Nosferatu
Wicked


Best Makeup and Hairstyling
A Different Man
 Emilia Pérez
Nosferatu
The Substance
Wicked


Best Visual Effects 
Alien: Romulus
Better Man
Dune: Part Two
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Wicked


Best Sound
A Complete Unknown
Dune: Part Two
 Emilia Pérez
Wicked
The Wild Robot


Best Film Editing
Anora
The Brutalist
Conclave
 Emilia Pérez
Wicked


Best Live-Action Short Film
A Lien
Anuja
I’m Not a Robot
The Last Ranger
The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent


Best Animated Short Film
Beautiful Men
In the Shadow of the Cypress
Magic Candies
Wander to Wonder
Yuck!


Best Documentary Short Film 
Death by Numbers
I Am Ready Warden
Incident
Instruments of a Beating Heart
The Only Girl in the Orchestra

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