The biggest awards show of the year, the Oscars, honoured the best movies of 2024, hosted by Conan O’Brien live from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
Last year, it was all about the battle of Oppenheimer and Barbie in movie theatres and at the 2024 Academy Awards. But this year Anora earned a number of the biggest trophies. The film won five awards in total, including best picture.
Anora director Sean Baker also made Oscar history after winning best picture. It was Baker’s fourth win of the night and tying Walt Disney for the most in a single year in Academy Award history.
The show had a Wicked-ly fun opening, with Ariana Grande singing Over The Rainbow from The Wizard of Oz and Cynthia Erivo sang Home from The Wiz before the duo broke into a duet for Defying Gravity from their film, Wicked.
(L-R) Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande perform onstage during the 97th Annual Oscars at Dolby Theatre on March 02, 2025 in Hollywood, California.
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Later in the live broadcast, the Oscars launched into a four-part tribute to James Bond, opening with The Substance actor Margaret Qualley and dancers, followed by Blackpink’s LISA singing Live and Let Die, a bedazzled Doja Cat with Diamonds Are Forever and RAYE with Adele’s Skyfall.
Kieran Culkin took home the Oscar for best supporting actor for his role in A Real Pain.
During his speech, Culkin relayed a conversation that he had about a year ago with his wife Jazz Charton, when he said he wanted four children.
“She said, ‘I will give you four when you win an Oscar.’ I held my hand out. She took it, and I have not brought it up once, until just now,” Culkin said.
“I just have this to say to you Jazz, love of my life, ye of little faith … let’s get crackin’ on those kids, what do you say?” he concluded.
Kieran Culkin accepts the Best Actor In A Supporting Role award for “A Real Pain” onstage during the 97th Annual Oscars at Dolby Theatre on March 02, 2025 in Hollywood, California.
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Zoe Saldaña won best supporting actress for her work in Netflix’s Emilia Pérez and before beginning her speech she shouted, “Mami! Mami!” and waved to her mother in the crowd, fighting back tears.
“My mom is here; my whole family’s here. I am floored by this honour,” she said.
“Thank you to the Academy, for recognizing the quiet heroism and the power in a woman like Rita, and talking about powerful women. Jacques, you are a beloved character in my life. Thank you for taking the interest. Thank you for being so curious about these women to tell this story. To my cast and my crew of Emilia Perez, I’m sharing this award with you,” she said during her acceptance speech.
She added later when addressing her family, “Everything brave, outrageous and good that I’ve ever done throughout my life is because of you.”
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Saldaña also beamed when she told the crowd that she is the first American of Dominican origin to win an Oscar.
Zoe Saldana at the 97th Academy Awards (Oscars) at the Dolby Theatre on March 2, 2025 in Los Angeles, CA.
Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
Adrien Brody won the Academy Award for best actor for his role in the post-war epic, The Brutalist.
During his speech, Brody wanted to be sure he got to thank everyone he needed to and when the music played for him to wrap up his speech, he joked, “This is not my first rodeo,” and continued talking.
“I’m here once again to represent the lingering traumas and the repercussions of war and systematic oppression and of antisemitism and racism and othering. I pray for a healthier and a happier and a more inclusive world. And I believe if the past can teach us anything, it’s a reminder to not let hate go unchecked,” Brody said.
Brody is the 11th person to win best actor more than once. Daniel Day-Lewis is a three-time winner and nine others — Spencer Tracy, Jack Nicholson, Marlon Brando, Dustin Hoffman, Gary Cooper, Tom Hanks, Fredric March, Sean Penn and Anthony Hopkins — are two-time best actor winners.
Adrien Brody at the 97th Oscars held at the Dolby Theatre on March 2, 2025 in Hollywood, California.
Rich Polk/Penske Media via Getty Images
Anora’s sweep contined as Mikey Madison won best actress for the film. “Thank you so much to the Academy,” said Madison. “I grew up in Los Angeles, but Hollywood always felt so far away from me. So to be here, standing in this room is incredible.”
“I’m honoured to be recognized alongside all of you, this is a dream come true,” Madison said of her fellow nominees, including Demi Moore, who has been dominating the award season for her role in The Substance.
Mikey Madison at the 97th Oscars held at the Dolby Theatre on March 2, 2025 in Hollywood, California.
Rich Polk/Penske Media via Getty Images
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(Find below a complete list of all the nominees in the major categories.)
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Best Picture
**WINNER: Anora
The Brutalist
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Pérez
I’m Still Here
Nickel Boys
The Substance
Wicked
Actor in a Leading Role
**WINNER: Adrien Brody, The Brutalist
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
**WINNER: Mikey Madison, Anora
Demi Moore, The Substance
Fernanda Torres, I’m Still Here
Actor in a Supporting Role
Yura Borisov, Anora
**WINNER: Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain
Edward Norton, A Complete Unknown
Guy Pearce, The Brutalist
Jeremy Strong, The Apprentice
Actress in a Supporting Role
Monica Barbaro, A Completed Unknown
Ariana Grande, Wicked
Felicity Jones, The Brutalist
Isabella Rossellini, Conclave
**WINNER: Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez
Directing
**WINNER: Sean Baker, Anora
Brady Corbet, The Brutalist
James Mangold, A Complete Unknown
Jacques Audiard, Emilia Pérez
Coralie Fargeat, The Substance
Cinematography
**WINNER: The Brutalist
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Pérez
Maria
Nosferatu
Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
A Complete Unknown
**WINNER: Conclave
Emilia Pérez
Nickel Boys
Sing Sing
Writing (Original Screenplay)
**WINNER: Anora
The Brutalist
A Real Pain
September 5
The Substance
Film Editing
**WINNER: Anora
The Brutalist
Conclave
Emilia Pérez
Wicked
International Feature Film
**WINNER: I’m Still Here, Brazil
The Girl With The Needle, Denmark
Emilia Pérez, France
The Seed Of The Sacred Fig, Germany
Flow, Latvia
Animated Feature Film
**WINNER: Flow
Inside Out 2
Memoir of a Snail
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
The Wild Robot
Animated Short Film
Beautiful Men
**WINNER: In The Shadow Of The Cypress
Magic Candies
Wander To Wonder
Yuck!
Live-Action Short Film
A Lien
Anuja
**WINNER: I’m Not A Robot
The Last Ranger
The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent
Music (Original Song)
**WINNER:El Mal, Emilia Pérez
The Journey, The Six Triple Eight
Like A Bird, Sing Sing
Mi Camino, Emilia Pérez
Never Too Late, Elton John: Never Too Late
Music (Original Score)
**WINNER: The Brutalist
Conclave
Emilia Pérez
Wicked
The Wild Robot
Sound
A Complete Unknown
**WINNER: Dune: Part Two
Emilia Pérez
Wicked
The Wild Robot
Documentary Feature
Black Box Diaries
**WINNER: No Other Land
Porcelain War
Soundtrack To A Coup D’Etat
Sugarcane
Documentary Short Film
Death By Numbers
I Am Ready, Warden
Incident
Instruments of A Beating Heart
**WINNER: The Only Girl In The Orchestra
Makeup and Hairstyling
A Different Man
Emilia Pérez
Nosferatu
**WINNER: The Substance
Wicked
Costume Design
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Gladiator II
Nosferatu
**WINNER: Wicked
Production Design
The Brutalist
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Nosferatu
**WINNER: Wicked
Visual Effects
Alien: Romulus
Better Man
**WINNER:Dune: Part Two
Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes
Wicked
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—With files from The Associated Press
