“Anora,” a dramedy about a sex worker who marries the pampered son of a Russian oligarch, triumphed at the 97th Academy Awards on Sunday, winning five Oscars, including the prize for best picture. Its victory capped a tumultuous awards season, one that cycled through frontrunners at a dizzying pace with contenders like “Emilia Pérez” and “The Brutalist” seeing their fortunes rise and fall as controversies over everything from offensive tweets to the use of AI upended their campaigns.
It was also a race that unfolded during one of the worst natural disasters in Los Angeles history, something that the Oscars reflected with tributes to the firefighters who came to the aid of communities impacted by the wildfires, as well as with a montage highlighting the many films shot in the city, from “The Long Goodbye” to “Licorice Pizza.”
Sean Baker, the maverick behind “Anora,” was recognized for producing, directing, editing and writing the film’s screenplay, becoming the first person to win four Oscars for the same movie. It was an extraordinary embrace by the entertainment industry of a filmmaker who has largely operated outside of it, making low-budget fare like “Tangerine” and “The Florida Project.” Baker’s latest film was a favorite with critics and its Oscar success is a statement-making moment for Neon, the indie distributor behind “Anora,” which previously guided “Parasite” to a best picture statue in 2020.
However, having earned $40 million globally, “Anora” also ranks as one of the lowest-grossing best picture winners in history. But most of the movies that the Oscars honored this year were made by independent producers and companies. It’s a sign of how averse studios, which focus most of their resources on franchise fare, have become to producing the kind of adult-oriented films that dominate awards season. Those blockbusters that received best picture nominations, such as “Dune: Part Two” and “Wicked,” only scored wins in technical categories.
Adrien Brody (“The Brutalist”) and Mikey Madison (“Anora”) took the top acting honors. Brody, a previous winner for “The Pianist,” played a brilliant, but troubled architect, while Madison scored an upset victory for her portrayal of an exotic dancer under pressure to get an annulment from her rich husband.
A shocked Madison, who had been widely expected to lose the award to “The Substance’s” Demi Moore, said, “I grew up in Los Angeles, but Hollywood always felt so far away from me, so to be here, standing in this room today is really incredible.” She went on to pledge her support to the sex worker community, calling herself, “an ally.”
Brody’s win, one of three prizes for “The Brutalist,” came after a series of setbacks had seen him shunted aside by the movie business. It was a change in fortunes he referenced while accepting his award. “Acting is a very fragile profession,” Brody, who had to hand his gum to his partner Georgina Chapman before taking the stage, said. “No matter where you are in your career, no matter what you’ve accomplished, it can all go away. And I think that what makes this night most special is the awareness of that. And the gratitude that I have to still do the work that I love.”
Kieran Culkin (“A Real Pain”) was named best supporting actor for his turn as a troubled man on a tour of Poland with his cousin, while Zoe Saldaña (“Emilia Pérez”) won best supporting actress for her performance as an attorney who helps a cartel leader undergo gender affirmation surgery.
With tears streaming down her face, Saldaña declared herself “a proud child of immigrant parents.” She also noted “I am the first American of Dominican origin to accept an Academy Award, and I know I will not be the last.”
In a freewheeling speech, Culkin dropped an f-bomb and reminded his wife, Jazz Charton, that after he won an Emmy for “Succession” she had promised to have more children if he won an Oscar. “Let’s get cracking on those kids,” he said. “What do you say?”
Among other major winners, “I’m Still Here,” a family drama set during Brazil’s military dictatorship, was named best international feature. It was the first time the country had ever won the honor. “Flow,” a fantasy adventure from Latvia about a cat’s efforts to survive a flood, picked up best animated feature over the likes of “The Wild Robot” and “Inside Out 2.” And “No Other Land,” a look at the Israeli government’s efforts to force Palestinians from their homes in the West Bank, won best documentary despite struggling to get distribution. The film was directed by a Palestinian-Israeli collective of four activists
“We call on the world to take serious actions to stop the injustice and to stop the ethnic cleansing of Palestinian people,” said Basel Adra, a Palestinian journalist who is one of the film’s directors. “About two months ago, I became a father, and my hope to my daughter that she will not have to live the same life I’m living now.”
Conan O’Brien, a former late night TV staple turned podcasting impresario, hosted the Oscars for the first time, taking over from Jimmy Kimmel, who had emceed three previous editions. His opening monologue poked fun at everything from the fact that the show began at 4:00 in the afternoon (“everyone here just had brunch”) to “Emilia Pérez” star Karla Sofia Gascón’s social media scandal (“Karla, if you are going to tweet about the Oscars, my name is Jimmy Kimmel.”) There was also a song and dance number about the Academy Awards’ long running time, as well as an appearance by a hoodie-wearing Adam Sandler.
Yet Donald Trump went largely unmentioned, a departure from previous Oscar ceremonies during his first term and the interregnum between his administrations when his name was repeatedly invoked. There were a few allusions to “our chaotic times” and presenter Daryl Hannah offered support for Ukraine, whose leader recently had an uncomfortable Oval Office meeting, but most criticism of the president was implicit, rather than explicit.
The ceremony also included a tribute to the James Bond franchise, which made headlines last month after Amazon MGM bought creative control of the series from the Broccoli family. Introducing a musical performance featuring 007 theme songs like “Live and Let Die” and “Diamonds are Forever,” Halle Berry called Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, the producers of the films, “the heart and soul of this franchise.”
“Every generation does have their Bond, you know — the world revolves, it evolves, and so does he,” she added. “But that signature mix of danger, style, and intrigue, well, that’s timeless.”
Only now, in a sign of how much Hollywood itself is evolving, an e-retailing giant, and not a traditional studio, will determine the direction of the movie business’s most enduring franchise.
It was Baker who made the most passionate defense of the moviegoing tradition, pleading with the audience to support cinemas.
“Movie theaters, especially independently-owned theaters are struggling,” Baker said. “During the pandemic, we lost 1,000 screens in the U.S. And we continue to lose them regularly. If we don’t reverse this trend, we’ll be losing a vital part of our culture. This is my battle cry. Filmmakers, keep making films for the big screen. I know I will.”
See the full list of winners below.
Best Picture
“Anora,” (Neon) Alex Coco, Samantha Quan and Sean Baker, Producers (WINNER)
“The Brutalist” (A24)
“A Complete Unknown” (Searchlight) Fred Berger, James Mangold and Alex Heineman, Producers
“Conclave” (Focus Features) Tessa Ross, Juliette Howell and Michael A. Jackman, Producers
“Dune: Part Two” (Warner Bros.) Mary Parent, Cale Boyter, Tanya Lapointe and Denis Villeneuve, Producers
“Emilia Pérez” (Netflix)
“I’m Still Here” (Sony Pictures Classic)
“Nickel Boys” (Orion Pictures/Amazon MGM Studios)
“The Substance” (MUBI)
“Wicked” (Universal) Marc Platt, Producer
Best Director
Sean Baker, “Anora” (WINNER)
Brady Corbet “The Brutalist”
James Mangold, “A Complete Unknown”
Jacques Audiard, “Emilia Pérez”
Coralie Fargeat, “The Substance”
Actor in a Leading Role
Adrien Brody, “The Brutalist” (WINNER)
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”
Mikey Madison, “Anora” (WINNER)
Demi Moore, “The Substance”
Fernanda Torres, “I’m Still Here”
Actor in a Supporting Role
Yura Borisov, “Anora”
Kieran Culkin, “A Real Pain” (WINNER)
Edward Norton, “A Complete Unknown”
Guy Pearce, “The Brutalist”
Jeremy Strong, “The Apprentice”
Actress in a Supporting Role
Monica Barbaro, “A Complete Unknown”
Ariana Grande, “Wicked”
Felicity Jones, “The Brutalist”
Isabella Rossellini, “Conclave”
Zoe Saldaña, “Emilia Pérez” (WINNER)
Adapted Screenplay
“A Complete Unknown”, Screenplay by James Mangold and Jay Cocks
“Conclave,” Screenplay by Peter Straughan (WINNER)
“Emilia Pérez,” Screenplay by Jacques Audiard in collaboration with Thomas Bidegain, Léa Mysius and Nicolas Livecchi
“Nickel Boys,” Screenplay by RaMell Ross & Joslyn Barnes
“Sing Sing,” Screenplay by Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Story by Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Clarence Maclin, John “Divine G” Whitfield
Original Screenplay
“Anora,” Written by Sean Baker (WINNER)
“The Brutalist,” Written by Brady Corbet, Mona Fastvold
“A Real Pain,” Written by Jesse Eisenberg
“September 5,” Written by Moritz Binder, Tim Fehlbaum, Co-Written by Alex David
“The Substance,” Written by Coralie Fargeat
Animated Short Film
“Beautiful Men,” (Miyu Distribution) Nicolas Keppens and Brecht Van Elslande
“In the Shadow of the Cypress,” Shirin Sohani and Hossein Molayemi (WINNER)
“Magic Candies,” (Toei Animation) Daisuke Nishio and Takashi Washio
“Wander to Wonder,” ” (Miyu Distribution) Nina Gantz and Stienette Bosklopper
“Yuck!” (Miyu Distribution) Loïc Espuche and Juliette Marquet
Costume Design
“A Complete Unknown,” Arianne Phillips
“Conclave,” Lisy Christl
“Gladiator II,” Janty Yates and Dave Crossman
“Nosferatu,” Linda Muir
“Wicked,” Paul Tazewell (WINNER)
Live Action Short Film
“A Lien,” Sam Cutler-Kreutz and David Cutler-Kreutz
“Anuja,” Adam J. Graves and Suchitra Mattai
“I’m Not a Robot” (The New Yorker) Victoria Warmerdam and Trent (WINNER)
“The Last Ranger,” Cindy Lee and Darwin Shaw
“The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent” (Manifest) Nebojša Slijepčević and Danijel Pek
Makeup and Hairstyling
“A Different Man,” Mike Marino, David Presto and Crystal Jurado
“Emilia Pérez,” Julia Floch Carbonel, Emmanuel Janvier and Jean-Christophe Spadaccini
“Nosferatu,” David White, Traci Loader and Suzanne StokesMunton
“The Substance,” Pierre-Olivier Persin, Stéphanie Guillon and Marilyne Scarselli (WINNER)
“Wicked,” Frances Hannon, Laura Blount and Sarah Nuth
Original Score
“The Brutalist,” Daniel Blumberg (WINNER)
“Conclave,” Volker Bertelmann
“Emilia Pérez,” Clément Ducol and Camille
“Wicked,” John Powell and Stephen Schwartz
“The Wild Robot,” Kris Bowers
Animated Feature Film
“Flow” (Sideshow/Janus Films) (WINNER)
“Inside Out 2” (Walt Disney) Kelsey Mann and Mark Nielsen
“Memoir of a Snail” (IFC Films) Adam Elliot and Liz Kearney
“Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” (Netflix)
“The Wild Robot” (Universal) Chris Sanders and Jeff Hermann
Cinematography
“The Brutalist,” Lol Crawley (WINNER)
“Dune: Part Two,” Greig Fraser
“Emilia Pérez,” Paul Guilhaume
“Maria,” Ed Lachman
“Nosferatu,” Jarin Blaschke
Documentary Feature Film
“Black Box Diaries” (MTV Documentary Films) Shiori Ito, Eric Nyari and Hanna Aqvilin
“No Other Land,” Basel Adra, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal and Yuval Abraham (WINNER)
“Porcelain War” (Picturehouse) Brendan Bellomo, Slava Leontyev, Aniela Sidorska and Paula DuPre’ Pesmen
“Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat” (Kino Lorber) Johan Grimonprez, Daan Milius and Rémi Grellety
“Sugarcane” (National Geographic Documentary Films)
Documentary Short Film
“Death by Numbers” Kim A. Snyder and Janique L. Robillard
“I Am Ready, Warden” (MTV Documentary Films) Smriti Mundhra and Maya Gnyp
“Incident” (The New Yorker) Bill Morrison and Jamie Kalven
“Instruments of a Beating Heart” (The New York Times OpDocs/Cineric Creative) Ema Ryan Yamazaki and Eric Nyari
“The Only Girl in the Orchestra” (Netflix) Molly O’Brien and Lisa Remington (WINNER)
Film Editing
“Anora” Sean Baker (WINNER)
“The Brutalist” David Jancso
“Conclave” Nick Emerson
“Emilia Pérez” Juliette Welfling
“Wicked” Myron Kerstein
International Feature Film
“I’m Still Here,” Brazil (WINNER)
“The Girl with the Needle,” Denmark
“Emilia Pérez,” France
“The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” Germany
“Flow,” Latvia
Original Song
“El Mal” from “Emilia Pérez,” Music by Clément Ducol and Camille, Lyric by Clément Ducol, Camille and Jacques Audiard (WINNER)
“The Journey” from “The Six Triple Eight,” Music and Lyric by Diane Warren
“Like a Bird” from “Sing Sing,” Music and Lyric by Abraham Alexander and Adrian Quesada
“Mi Camino” from “Emilia Pérez,” Music and Lyric by Camille and Clément Ducol
“Never Too Late” from “Elton John: Never Too Late,” Music and Lyric by Elton John, Brandi Carlile, Andrew Watt and Bernie Taupin
Production Design
“The Brutalist,” Production Design: Judy Becker, Set Decoration: Patricia Cuccia
“Conclave,” Production Design: Suzie Davies, Set Decoration: Cynthia Sleiter
“Dune: Part Two,” Production Design: Patrice Vermette, Set Decoration: Shane Vieau
“Nosferatu,” Production Design: Craig Lathrop, Set Decoration: Beatrice Brentnerová
“Wicked,” Production Design: Nathan Crowley, Set Decoration: Lee Sandales (WINNER)
Sound
“A Complete Unknown,” Tod A. Maitland, Donald Sylvester, Ted Caplan, Paul Massey and David Giammarco
“Dune: Part Two,” Gareth John, Richard King, Ron Bartlett and Doug Hemphill (WINNER)
“Emilia Perez,” Erwan Kerzanet, Aymeric Devoldère, Maxence Dussère, Cyril Holtz and Niels Barletta
“Wicked,” Simon Hayes, Nancy Nugent Title, Jack Dolman, Andy Nelson and John Marquis
“The Wild Robot,” Randy Thom, Brian Chumney, Gary A. Rizzo and Leff Lefferts
Visual Effects
“Alien: Romulus,” Eric Barba, Nelson Sepulveda-Fauser, Daniel Macarin and Shane Mahan
“Better Man,” Luke Millar, David Clayton, Keith Herft and Peter Stubbs
“Dune: Part Two,” Paul Lambert, Stephen James, Rhys Salcombe and Gerd Nefzer (WINNER)
“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” Erik Winquist, Stephen Unterfranz, Paul Story and Rodney Burke
“Wicked,” Pablo Helman, Jonathan Fawkner, David Shirk and Paul Corbould
