Oscars 2025: ‘Anora’ shines at the 97th Academy Awards

"Anora" producers Alex Coco and Samantha Quan, with director Sean Baker and cast and crew members, accept the award for best picture.

“Anora” had a night to remember Sunday at the Academy Awards.

Sean Baker’s film about a Brooklyn sex worker who meets and falls for the spoiled son of a Russian oligarch took home five Oscars, including best picture and best actress for star Mikey Madison.

Baker, who wrote, directed and edited the film, won the Oscar for all three of those roles.

Other major winners Sunday were Adrien Brody, who won his second best actor Oscar for his role in “The Brutalist”; Zoe Saldaña, who won best supporting actress for “Emilia Pérez”; and Kieran Culkin, who won best supporting actor for “A Real Pain.”

Take a look back at some of the best moments of the night and see more here.

Adrien Brody hugs director Brady Corbet after winning the best actor Oscar for "The Brutalist." It is the second time Brody has won the award.

The Oscar for best cinematography is seen at the feet of Lol Crawley, who won for his work on "The Brutalist."

A view of the audience as Shirin Sohani and Hossein Molayemi accept the Oscar for best animated short film, "In the Shadow of the Cypress."

Kieran Culkin accepts the best supporting actor Oscar for his role in "A Real Pain." He shared a story about how his wife, Jazz Charton, agreed to have more children if he won an Oscar, because “she didn’t think I was going to win.” While holding his newly-won award, he said to Charton: “No pressure. I love you. I’m really sorry I did this again. And let’s get cracking on those kids. What do you say?”

Host Conan O'Brien performs a musical number that included a dancing Deadpool and a piano-playing Sandworm from "Dune: Part Two."

Doja Cat sings "Diamonds Are Forever" during a medley of James Bond songs.

“Anora” is officially the little film that could, and did.

The movie about a sex worker and her whirlwind romance with the son of a Russian oligarch took home five trophies Sunday night, including for best picture. Sean Baker, who wrote, edited and directed the film, is now the second person ever to win four Oscars in one night, with the first being Walt Disney.

“Anora” lead actress Mikey Madison clinched the best actress Oscar in something of an upset, as “The Substance” star Demi Moore was widely considered to be the favorite after dominating the award circuit this year, having won every major acting award except for the BAFTA, which went to Madison last month.

It was one of a few surprises of the evening, including how utterly suited host Conan O’Brien seemed to his duties, as well as the general lack of overtly political speeches early in the second term of President Donald Trump.

The exceptions to that trend stood out as their own powerful moments: The Israeli and Palestinian filmmaking team behind the Oscar-winning feature documentary “No Other Land” delivered a pointed, unified message. Presenter Darryl Hannah voiced her support for war-torn Ukraine.

Other winners leaned into the unity of family, love of cinema, and how those who have survived the Los Angeles wildfires have come together to rebuild.

Hollywood is nothing if not a microcosm of the real world, and Sunday night reminded us that there is still humor, beauty and art to be celebrated even in the toughest of times.

From the opening tribute to Los Angeles and Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo delighting us with their singing, to the night ending with the “Anora” folks taking to the stage in delight, it wasn’t the super energetic night some Oscars have been in the past, but there is something to be said for a bit of a slower burn here and there.

Not to mention the nostalgia of having “When Harry Met Sally” stars Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal presenting the final award of the night, best picture. They looked as happy to be there as the audience who cheered their taking the stage.

We will definitely have what they are having.

CNN’s David Daniel contributed to this report.

Director Sean Baker and producers Alex Coco and Samantha Quan win the Oscar for best picture for "Anora."

Sean Baker’s “Anora” has closed out a fairy-tale night by winning the Oscar for best picture at the 97th Academy Awards.

Led by breakout star Mikey Madison, who just won best lead actress, “Anora” is a dramatic comedy following a Brooklyn stripper who is summoned to dance for the wayward son of a Russian oligarch because she speaks his language, eventually falling for and marrying him. Once the news reaches his parents, a wild caper ensues, spanning New York City and Las Vegas.

Director Sean Baker and producers of the film made it a point to emphasize that “Anora” is an independent film and encouraged others to pursue the independent route.

“We made this movie independently. If you’re trying to make independent films please keep doing it, we need more. This is proof,” producer Alex Coco said while accepting the Oscar.

“We made this with very little money, but with all of our hearts. To all the dreamers and young filmmakers out there: tell the stories you want to tell. Tell the stories that move you. I promise you, you will never regret it,” producer Samantha Quan said.

In the lead-up to this weekend’s Oscars, “Anora” secured decisive wins at the PGA, DGA and WGA Awards, along with the Critics Choice Award for best picture and the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival last year.

Mikey Madison accepts the award for best performance by an actress in a leading role for "Anora."

Mikey Madison has won her first Oscar for her lead role in Sean Baker’s “Anora,” marking somewhat of a surprise win for the breakout star after her first nomination at the Academy Awards.

“This is very surreal,” Madison said, before thanking the Academy, film company Neon, her family, cast mates and other nominees.

Madison, who portrays an exotic dancer and escort in the film, went on to recognize the sex worker community.

“I will continue to support and be an ally,” she said. “All of the incredible people, the women, that I’ve had the privilege of meeting from that community has been one of the highlights of this entire incredible experience.”

Madison plays the titular role in the film, about a Brooklyn exotic dancer who meets and falls for the spoiled son of a Russian oligarch. When the pair get married on a whim, a hectic chain of events ensues as the son defects in fear of his distant yet controlling parents.

Madison grew up on television, playing the eldest of three sisters in the acclaimed Pamela Adlon Hulu series “Better Things.” The young star was also featured in Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” and the 2022 “Scream” sequel.

Fellow nominee Demi Moore was considered the favorite to win on Sunday night, as she has dominated the award circuit this season, clinching a Golden Globe, Critics Choice and SAG Award, while only losing the BAFTA Award to Madison.

CNN’s Tori B. Powell contributed to this report.

“Anora” is officially having a big night, taking home its third key win, this time for best directing.

Filmmaker Sean Baker, who wrote, directed and edited the movie, is spending a lot of time on stage tonight.

During his acceptance speech, Baker made an impassioned plea to save movie theaters across the US. He asked for filmmakers to keep making movies for the big screen, for distributors to focus on the theatrical releases of films and for people to continue to watch movies in theaters.

“Anora” is about a Brooklyn exotic dancer who meets and falls for the spoiled son of a Russian oligarch. When the pair get married on a whim, a hectic chain of events ensues as the son defects in fear of his distant yet controlling parents.

Adrien Brody accepts the award for best actor in a leading role.

Adrien Brody has struck Oscar gold again, this time for his work in Brady Corbet’s epic “The Brutalist.”

“Winning an award like this, it signifies a destination, and it’s something my character references in the film,” he said. “But to me it also, beyond the pinnacle of a career, it is a chance to begin again and the opportunity to hopefully be fortunate enough so that the next 20 years of my life… can prove that I am worthy of such meaningful and important and relevant roles.”

Brody thanked God, his team, film company A24, his cast and also said he shares the win with his fellow nominees as well as his family.

He concluded his speech by speaking out against antisemitism and hate in the world.

“I’m here once again to represent the lingering traumas and repercussions of war and systematic oppression and of antisemitism and racism and of othering,” he said. “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.”

In the three-and-a-half-hour film, Brody plays a fictional Hungarian Jewish immigrant who flees post-WWII Europe to pursue the American dream and his vision of becoming a revolutionary architect.

The actor won his first Academy Award for best lead actor 22 years ago, for his role in Holocaust drama “The Pianist.” At 29, that made him the youngest man to ever win the category.

A look at Oscar statuettes at various steps of the manufacturing process — from the 3D-printed model on the left to the final gold-plated version on the right.

It’s one of the most famous trophies in the world.

The Oscar statuette has been honoring the best in film since 1929. But its production — and materials — have changed over the years.

Photographer Christopher Payne went behind the scenes to see how each statuette is made.

Read more here.

Silicon bronze is poured into a hollow vessel to make Oscar statuettes in Rock Tavern, New York.

The UAP foundry in Rock Tavern makes about 60 statuettes per year.

The finishing phase involves delicate handwork and polishing. Everything has to be precise because any imperfections will be picked up later in the gold-plating phase.

Each statuette is 13.5 inches tall, and it weighs 8.5 pounds — about the same as a gallon of milk.

Adrien Brody, left, and Guy Pearce, right, congratulate Daniel Blumberg for winning the award for best original score for "The Brutalist."

“The Brutalist” just nabbed another win at the 2025 Oscars, this time for best original score.

Composer Daniel Blumberg gave a special thanks to director Brady Corbet during his acceptance speech. “When I met Brady I found my artistic soulmate, for him to trust me in this work and to grow alongside him has been so special. Thank you Brady, love you,” Blumberg said.

He also thanked the musicians who performed the score in the movie. “The sounds you hear on ‘The Brutalist’ are made by a group of hardworking, radical musicians, who’ve been making uncompromising music for many years. I’m accepting this award on behalf of them too,” Blumberg said.

Director Brady Corbet’s film “The Brutalist” — a vast portrait of fictional architect László Tóth, a Holocaust survivor starting over in the United States — weighs in at just over three and a half hours.

CNN’s Thomas Page contributed reporting.

The Brazilian-made “I’m Still Here” has won the Oscar for best international feature film at the 97th Academy Awards.

Whoopi Goldberg, left, and Oprah pay tribute to Quincy Jones.

Seven-time Oscar-nominee Quincy Jones was honored at the Academy Awards with an introduction from Oprah Winfrey and Whoopi Goldberg.

The pair starred in “The Color Purple,” the 1985 film for which Jones both composed the score and served as a producer.

They received a standing ovation before they launched into praise for the “musical genius.”

“But the man, our beloved Q, had an equally powerful impact on film,” Winfrey said.

Goldberg noted that in 1967 Jones was the first Black composer nominated in the original song category for “Eyes of Love” from the film “Banning.” Both women talked about Jones as the man as well as the legend.

“Quincy was love lived out loud in joyous form,” Winfrey said, as she noted that he “discovered” her in “The Color Purple” and changed her life.

Queen Latifah performs onstage.

Queen Latifah honored Jones in song by performing “Ease on Down the Road” from “The Wiz,” the 1978 film adaption of the Broadway musical. Jones served as the music supervisor for the film and was nominated for an Academy Award for its score.

Executive producer Raj Kapoor talked about the tribute prior to the show.

“We’ve planned and curated this beautiful moment that we hope will uplift the room, that will celebrate the spirit of Quincy and all of his greatness,” Kapoor said. “It’s a beautiful moment, and we think it will be very celebratory and make everybody feel really good.”

Jones died at the age of 91, two weeks before he was scheduled to receive an honorary Oscar at the 15th Governors Awards in November.

Lol Crawley wins the award for best cinematography for "The Brutalist."

The three-and-a-half-hour architectural epic “The Brutalist” has won best cinematography at the 2025 Oscars.

That marks tonight’s first win for the acclaimed film, which was shot on VistaVision, a film stock that hasn’t been used by an American movie since 1961.

This is also the first nomination and win for cinematographer Lol Crawley, who thanked “Brutalist” director Brady Corbet, “for trusting me. For allowing me to sail close to the edge and offer(ing) your hand if I ever fell in. Thank you Brady for recognizing that the richest diamonds are always the hardest to mine and for standing by me if I ever fail to succeed.”

Corbet’s film “The Brutalist” is a vast portrait of fictional architect László Tóth, a Holocaust survivor starting over in the United States.

CNN’s Thomas Page contributed reporting.

Morgan Freeman introduces the In Memoriam segment.

As the introduction to the In Memoriam segment at the award event on Sunday night, Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman took the stage to honor the late Gene Hackman, who was found dead along with his wife and one of their dogs at their Santa Fe, New Mexico home last week.

Hackman was 95.

Freeman noted that while the community lost a great actor, he lost “a dear friend.”

“I had the pleasure of working alongside Gene on two films, “Unforgiven” and “Under Suspicion,” and like everyone who ever shared a scene with him, I learned he was a generous performer and a man who elevated everyone’s worth,” Freeman said. “He received two Oscars but more importantly, he won the hearts of film lovers all over the world.”

Hackman won a best supporting actor Oscar for 1992’s “Unforgiven,” along with best lead actor trophy for “The French Connection” some 20 years prior.

According to Freeman, Hackman once said, “I don’t think about legacy. I just hope people remember me as someone who tried to do good work.”

Hackman surely will be, as tributes have continued to pour in, even as investigators continue the work to determine what ended the lives of him and his beloved wife.

From left, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal, Basel Adra and Yuval Abraham accept award for best documentary feature film for "No Other Land."

The Academy Award for best documentary feature film went to “No Other Land,” a documentary made by a four-person Palestinian and Israeli team.

The filmmakers used their acceptance speeches to highlight the effects of Israel’s military campaigns in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. It comes on the heels of a tenuous Israel-Hamas ceasefire that saw the militant group release hostages who had been held in the enclave since the October 7, 2023, attacks.

Palestinian journalist Basel Adra, who is a new father, said his hope for his daughter is that she “will not have to live the same life I am living now,” which he said involves constant fear of home demolitions and forced displacement in his community.

Yuval Abraham, an Israeli investigative journalist, said the group of filmmakers made “No Other Land” because “together our voices are stronger” as Palestinians and Israelis.

About the documentary: The film tells of the continued demolition of Masafer Yatta, a collection of villages in the Hebron mountains of the West Bank where Adra and his family still live. As viewers see the demolition — the local playground torn down, his family moving their beds and other belongings into a cave, his brother shot and killed by soldiers, attacks by Jewish settlers — Adra and the rest of the filmmakers also show viewers a community trying to survive.

A still from "No Other Land."

The filmmakers behind the documentary told CNN last month that American distributors have been hesitant to pick up “No Other Land,” despite widespread acclaim from critics.

Roughly 40,000 Palestinians have been displaced from their homes since Israel launched an expanded military campaign in the West Bank in late January, almost immediately after the Gaza ceasefire began.

More from the speech: Abraham, who is an Israeli journalist, said in his speech that he and Adra “live in a regime where I am free under civilian law and Basal is under military laws (that destroy) his life and he cannot control.”

He added that there is “a political solution without ethnic supremacy, with national rights for both of our people” before accusing foreign policy in the United States of blocking that path forward.

CNN’s Leah Asmelash, Jeremy Diamond, Abeer Salman and Kareem Khadder contributed reporting.

"Dune: Part Two."

Science-fiction blockbuster “Dune: Part Two” has won Academy Awards for best sound and visual effects, taking home a pair of top technical awards.

The movie franchise is based on the classic 1965 “Dune” sci-fi novel by the late Frank Herbert.

Timothée Chalamet stars as Paul Atreides in the film series, opposite costar Zendaya.

In the second film, Atreides helps lead the resistance against the invading Harkonnens, led by the bloated Baron (Stellan Skarsgård) and his repulsive nephews, the Beast Rabban (Dave Bautista) and Feyd-Rautha (Austin Butler).

The sequel doubled the domestic opening of the first “Dune” installment, which opened with $41 million when it was simultaneously released in theaters and on the streaming service HBO Max in October 2021. The film is also director Denis Villeneuve’s highest grossing movie.

HBO Max and CNN are both owned by Warner Bros. Discovery.

The audience applauds during a tribute to the firefighters who battled Los Angeles wildfires.

One of the biggest rounds of applause and longest standing ovations of the night went to a group of first responders.

Conan O’Brien brought out a group of firefighters from Los Angeles and the Oscars audience went wild. This year’s Academy Awards is also acting as a fundraiser as the city continues to struggle recovering from the devastating wildfires that claimed the homes of celebs and civilians alike last month, along with dozens of lives.

“On behalf of everyone in greater Los Angeles, thanks for all you do,” O’Brien said to the group.

He then got a few of them to read some of the jokes off the teleprompter, saying that everyone would have to laugh and appreciate because they’re heroes. The jokes included one about Timothée Chalamet being so good as Bob Dylan in the biopic “A Complete Unknown” that “in fact, his singing was so good he almost lost the part.”

Let all the Dylan fans say “ouch.”

It was a great moment and a reminder of how much the world owes to first responders.

Not all of Sunday night’s moments are taking place on stage.

Check out some behind-the-scenes photos below and see more photos from the show here.

"Wicked" costars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo seen backstage.

Margaret Qualley and dancers prepare backstage for the James Bond tribute.

Award envelopes are seen backstage.

From left, Connie Nielsen, Elle Fanning, John Lithgow, Lily-Rose Depp and Bowen Yang gather backstage during the show. They presented the award for best costume design.

“Emilia Pérez” has taken home another Oscar, this time for best original song.

Songwriters Clément Ducol and Camille accepted the Oscar, with the latter saying, “We wrote ‘El Mal’ as a song to denounce corruption and we hope it speaks through to the role music and art can play and continue to play as a force of the good and progress in the world.”

Ducol gave a special thanks to Oscar-winner Zoe Saldaña as well as Karla Sofía Gascón, who performed the musical number, for “bringing the song to life.”

Netflix’s “Emilia Pérez” was directed by Jacques Audiard and is based on the 2018 novel “Écoute” by Boris Razon. In the film, the menacing cartel boss Manitas enlists the help of Rita Moro Castro (Saldaña) with a secret he has long held private — his desire to transition to becoming a woman.

Daryl Hannah speaks onstage.

“Slava Ukraine,” actress Daryl Hannah said, before she announced the nominees for achievement in film editing at tonight’s 2025 Oscars.

The rallying cry means, “Glory to Ukraine.”

Her onstage voice of support for the war-torn country comes after a politically tumultuous week surrounding Russia’s war on the Eastern European nation.

US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance had a contentious meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday in the Oval Office.

In a shocking moment, Trump and Vance berated the Ukrainian leader in front of reporters as they discussed efforts to secure a peace deal and Trump’s overtures to Russia. Zelensky pushed back on several points, and his White House visit was ultimately cut short.

The reverberations from that meeting are still being felt in Washington and across Europe on Sunday.

Zoe Saldaña accepts the award for best supporting actress.

Zoe Saldaña has won the Oscar for best supporting actress.

“I am floored by this honor,” she said while accepting her award. This was also her first nomination.

Saldaña thanked an array of people including her husband, her family who is attending the show, the film’s cast and crew as well as Netflix and the Academy.

The star went on to dedicate her award to her grandmother, noting that she is “a proud child of immigrant parents.”

“The fact that I am getting an award for a role where I got to sing and speak in Spanish? My grandmother if she were here would be so delighted,” she said.

About the movie: Netflix’s “Emilia Pérez” was directed by Jacques Audiard and is based on the 2018 novel “Écoute” by Boris Razon.

In the film, a menacing cartel boss enlists the help of Rita Moro Castro (Saldaña) with a secret he has long held private — his desire to transition to becoming a woman. Portrayed by Karla Sofía Gascón, the cartel boss’s journey to becoming Emilia Pérez is the heart of the movie, shepherded by Saldaña’s Rita and set against the struggles of the drug lord’s uninformed and disillusioned wife Jessi (Selena Gomez). The trio of actresses, along with Adriana Paz, who plays Emilia’s love interest in the second half of the film, won the best actress prize as an ensemble at the Cannes Film Festival last year.

CNN’s Dan Heching contributed reporting.

“Anora” has won the Academy Award for best film editing.

Writer, director and editor Sean Baker came back on stage to accept the film’s second Oscar of the night. He joked that he “saved” the movie with his edit — of the film of his own making.

A film that finished award season strong is starting to build some steam at this evening’s ceremony, after previously winning the Oscar for best original screenplay.

About the movie: “Anora” is a chaotic caper following the titular exotic dancer (Mikey Madison) who meets and falls for young, uber-wealthy Russian national Ivan (Mark Eydelshteyn). When the pair get married on a whim in Las Vegas, it sets off a hectic chain of events, culminating in a chase through New York and Brooklyn as Ivan defects in fear of his distant yet controlling parents.

Baker first gained major recognition for his 2015 film “Tangerine,” which was shot entirely on iPhone. He is also the director of the acclaimed films “The Florida Project” (2017) and “Red Rocket” (2021).