A Breakthrough for Sean Baker and Anora

Baker, long celebrated in independent filmmaking circles for Tangerine and The Florida Project, officially crossed into the Oscars mainstream. Anora—a chaotic, human, and often darkly funny story about a sex worker who marries a former client entangled with Russian oligarchs—took home four of the ceremony’s most coveted awards.

Baker won for:

• Best Original Screenplay

• Best Editing

• Best Director

• Best Picture (as producer)

That placed him in rare company. Only a handful of filmmakers have taken home four Oscars in one night, a feat most closely associated with Walt Disney and, in modern times, Bong Joon-ho.

Actress Mikey Madison delivered one of the evening’s few genuine surprises, winning Best Actress over frontrunner Demi Moore (The Substance). While Madison was an early favorite during festival season, Moore had surged through much of the awards circuit. When Madison’s name was announced, the Dolby Theatre erupted with what felt like genuine surprise and excitement.

Despite Anora’s dominance, eight of the ten Best Picture nominees walked away with at least one award—a rare spread in a year full of strong contenders.

Predictable Wins — and One Late Twist

Most acting and technical categories played out as expected:

• Kieran Culkin won Best Supporting Actor for A Real Pain.

• Zoe Saldaña earned Best Supporting Actress for Emilia Pérez, marking a milestone in her two-decade career.

• Adrien Brody took home Best Actor for his towering performance in The Brutalist, adding another dramatic chapter to a career already shaped by unforgettable roles.

The only upset was Madison’s win, though her performance had long been heralded by critics as one of the year’s most vulnerable and fearless.

A Ceremony Full of Talking — But Not About Politics

The telecast began early—7 p.m. Eastern—to give the Academy breathing room, and they used it. The ceremony ran long, but not in a chaotic way. Instead, the tone was loose, warm, and unexpectedly conversational.

Winners spoke generously about collaborators, influences, and the craft of filmmaking. Adrien Brody, leaning into the The Brutalist’s famously long runtime, launched into a sprawling speech that lit up social media.

Despite a world filled with political volatility, the Oscars remained largely apolitical. Aside from presenter Daryl Hannah, who remarked “Slava Ukraini,” and a single pointed joke from host Conan O’Brien, most winners opted for gratitude over messaging.

The one exception was in documentary.

Bold Words From the Documentary Winners

No Other Land—a collaboration between Palestinian and Israeli filmmakers—won Best Documentary Feature, despite the film still lacking U.S. distribution. The acceptance speeches were some of the evening’s most powerful, addressing the destruction in Masafer Yatta and expressing frustration with U.S. policy.

The win instantly turned the film into the most honored but least accessible documentary of the season, likely ensuring distributors take a second look.

The Rise and Fallout of Emilia Pérez

Few films have seen their awards-season momentum shift as dramatically as Netflix’s Emilia Pérez. With a remarkable 13 nominations and early talk of being the streamer’s breakthrough Best Picture winner, the film seemed unstoppable.

Then came the controversy.

Lead actress Karla Sofía Gascón, the first openly transgender performer nominated for an acting Oscar, faced intense scrutiny over resurfaced derogatory remarks from years prior. The backlash reshaped the race:

• Gascón fell out of contention for Best Actress.

• The film faded from Best Picture conversations.

• Zoe Saldaña became the film’s lone major acting winner.

Even so, Emilia Pérez earned a win for its original song “El Mal,” and Saldaña’s emotional acceptance speech—delivered partially in Spanish—became one of the night’s standout moments.

A Ceremony That Leaned on Music—Just Not the Nominees

In a year where the Best Original Song nominees lacked the cultural dominance of past winners like “I’m Just Ken,” “Husavik,” or “Naatu Naatu,” the Oscars pivoted.

Instead of live performances from the nominated songs, the show opened with a standout musical medley from Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, blending:

• “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”

• “Home” (from The Wiz)

• “Defying Gravity” (from Wicked)

Additional tributes included:

• A James Bond musical montage featuring Lisa, Doja Cat, and Raye

• A Quincy Jones celebration with Queen Latifah performing “Ease On Down the Road”

The approach paid off—bringing energy without relying on lesser-known nominated tracks.

Conan O’Brien: A Weird, Warm, Memorable Host

Conan O’Brien’s hosting gig began awkwardly—how do you follow an Ariana/Cynthia duet?—but he quickly settled into his signature absurdity. A deliberately silly musical number titled “I Won’t Waste Time” brought the room to life, and a bit featuring a Dune sandworm playing instruments was peak Conan.

His humor stayed mostly apolitical, though he did crack one of the night’s sharpest lines, quipping that audiences might love Anora because they “wanted to see someone stand up to a powerful Russian.”

A Night That Let People Speak From the Heart

Perhaps the most refreshing change was the Academy’s decision to give presenters more space to introduce the nominees personally. Instead of racing through categories, presenters—like Robert Downey Jr.—spoke directly about why each nominee mattered to them.

This format expanded to technical categories too, giving rare spotlight to cinematographers and costume designers. The authenticity was palpable, and the audience responded.

A Long Night, But One Worth Watching

The 2025 Oscars didn’t reinvent the ceremony, but they refined it.

It was indulgent, emotional, sprawling—and deeply appreciative of the craft of filmmaking. Anora emerged the clear winner, but the night also celebrated the industry’s breadth, honoring both indie breakthroughs and big-budget achievements.

In a year defined by noisy headlines and global uncertainty, the Oscars chose sincerity over spectacle, craft over controversy, and connection over confrontation.

Sometimes, that’s more than enough.