Hollywood is still catching its breath. Honestly, the 97th Academy Awards felt different from the jump. When Conan O'Brien took the stage at the Dolby Theatre on March 2, 2025, there was this weird, electric tension in the room. People expected a coronation for the "old guard," but what we actually got was a total takeover by the indies.
The night basically belonged to Anora.
Sean Baker’s neon-soaked odyssey didn’t just win; it dominated. It’s rare to see a film sweep Best Picture, Director, and Lead Actress all at once nowadays. Usually, the Academy likes to spread the wealth, but they were clearly all-in on this one. If you’re looking for the short version of who won at the oscars 2025, the answer is Anora, five times over.
Anora: The Indie That Could (and Did)
Let’s talk about Mikey Madison. She was incredible. In a year where veteran Demi Moore was basically the "narrative" favorite for The Substance, Madison’s win for Best Actress felt like a genuine shift in how voters see talent. It wasn’t just a "welcome to the club" award; it was a statement. Sean Baker, the director who has spent years filming on iPhones and working with shoestring budgets, walked away with Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and even Best Film Editing.
Five Oscars. That’s a massive haul for a film that feels so raw and un-Hollywood.
The Brutalist also had a huge night, even if it didn't take the top prize. Adrien Brody finally got his second Best Actor statue, and honestly, it felt long overdue. His performance as László Tóth was massive—one of those roles where you can’t imagine anyone else even trying to do it. The film also picked up Best Original Score for Daniel Blumberg and Best Cinematography for Lol Crawley. It was a technical powerhouse that actually had soul.
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The Big Winners You Need to Know
- Best Picture: Anora (Producers: Alex Coco, Samantha Quan, and Sean Baker)
- Best Director: Sean Baker (Anora)
- Best Actor: Adrien Brody (The Brutalist)
- Best Actress: Mikey Madison (Anora)
- Best Supporting Actor: Kieran Culkin (A Real Pain)
- Best Supporting Actress: Zoe Saldaña (Emilia Pérez)
Why the Oscars 2025 Surprises Still Matter
The "upsets" were the best part of the night. Take the Best Animated Feature category. Everyone—literally every pundit on the planet—had The Wild Robot or Inside Out 2 penciled in. Then the envelope opens and... Flow? A small, dialogue-free film about a cat? That was a legit shocker. It shows that the international voting body of the Academy is finally starting to exert some real muscle.
Then there was Emilia Pérez. It went into the night with a staggering 13 nominations. It walked away with two. That’s gotta hurt, but one of those wins was historic. Zoe Saldaña won Best Supporting Actress, making her the first American of Dominican descent to ever win an Oscar. The film also snagged Best Original Song for "El Mal."
Technical Feats and Big Budget Blues
It wasn't a total shutout for the blockbusters. Dune: Part Two did exactly what we thought it would do in the technical categories, grabbing Best Visual Effects and Best Sound. It’s funny, because even though it’s a "sequel," the craft in that movie is so undeniable that voters couldn't ignore it.
Wicked also had a decent showing. Paul Tazewell won Best Costume Design—another historic first, as he’s the first Black man to win in that category. The film also won Best Production Design, which, if you saw the sets, makes total sense.
The Snubs Nobody Talks About
We have to talk about A Complete Unknown. James Mangold’s Bob Dylan biopic had eight nominations and Timothée Chalamet was everywhere. Zero wins. Not even a technical award. It’s wild how a movie can be so admired by the Academy during the nomination phase and then completely vanish when the winners are announced.
And then there’s the Supporting Actor race. Kieran Culkin won for A Real Pain, and look, he’s great. We all love him. But there’s a lot of chatter about "category fraud" here. Culkin is very much a lead in that movie, and him winning against guys like Guy Pearce in The Brutalist or Yura Borisov in Anora felt a bit like a popularity contest.
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Other Notable 2025 Academy Award Winners:
- Best International Feature: I'm Still Here (Brazil)
- Best Adapted Screenplay: Conclave (Peter Straughan)
- Best Documentary Feature: No Other Land
- Best Makeup and Hairstyling: The Substance
- Best Live Action Short: I'm Not a Robot
Final Thoughts on the 97th Academy Awards
Basically, 2025 was the year the Academy decided to be "cool" again. They picked a gritty, independent film about a sex worker for Best Picture and rewarded a dialogue-free animation. They ignored the safe, traditional biopics in favor of bold, stylistic swings.
If you're looking to catch up on what you missed, start with Anora. It’s the definitive film of the year. After that, check out The Brutalist for the sheer scale of it, and Flow if you want to see why the animation world is in an uproar.
For the next awards season, watch for how these smaller studios like Neon and Sideshow continue to outplay the legacy giants. The playbook has changed. If you're a filmmaker or just a fan, the lesson from 2025 is clear: original voices are winning again. Keep an eye on the upcoming festival circuits like Cannes and Venice—that’s where the 2026 contenders are already starting to simmer.