The independent film Anora dominated the 97th Academy Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday, taking home five Oscars, including best picture.
Mikey Madison, the film’s star, won best actress, with director Sean Baker having an incredible night, taking home three awards.
The Brutalist also had a successful night after winning three awards, with Adrien Brody winning best actor for a second time.
Hosted by comedian Conan O’Brien, the 2025 Oscars had performances from Wicked co-stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, British singer Raye and Doja Cat.
Members of the fire service who responded to the wildfires which devastated parts of Los Angeles in January received a standing ovation from the Dolby Theatre’s audience.
Oscar winner Morgan Freeman also paid tribute to actor Gene Hackman, saying: “This week, our community lost a giant, and I lost a dear friend.”
Oprah Winfrey, Whoopi Goldberg and Queen Latifah also remembered music titan Quincy Jones.
Throughout the night, a “divided” world was a frequent theme in acceptance speeches.
First-time host, O’Brien, opened the ceremony by reflecting on the “power” that film has to “unite” everyone.
“Even in the face of terrible wildfires and divisive politics, the work – which is what this is about – the work continues and next year and for years to come, through trauma and joy,” he said.
Here are the results:
Best picture
The biggest award of the night went to independent film Anora – which swept the board at this year’s Academy Awards.
The film – which was made on a $6 million (£4.7 million) budget – focuses on a young sex worker who marries the son of a Russian oligarch.
Accepting the award, producer Samantha Quan said: “I don’t know how this can be real life. This is really an incredible, impossible journey for the past ten months.
“To our small but mighty crew and are ridiculously talented cast led by the amazing Mikey Madison. We made this very little money but all of our hearts.
“To all of the dreamers and the young film-makers out there, tell the stories you want to tell. Tell the stories that move you, I promise you, you will never regret it.”
Director Sean Baker also thanked the Academy for recognising a “truly independent film” that was “made on the blood, sweat and tears of incredible indie artists”.
Best actress
Breakout star Mikey Madison won best actress for her leading role in Anora, a victory that came over the category favourite, Demi Moore.
The first-time winner thanked the Academy, saying while she grew up in Los Angeles, Hollywood “always felt so far away”.
The 25-year-old added: “I also just want to again recognise and honour the sex worker community.
“I will continue to support and be an ally. 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.
“I also just want to recognise the thoughtful, intelligent, beautiful, breathtaking work of my fellow nominees.
“This is a dream come true.”
Best actor
Adrien Brody won the Oscar for best actor for his performance in the postwar epic The Brutalist, where he plays a Hungarian architect and holocaust survivor who moves to the US to rebuild his life.
It marks Brody’s second Oscar – his first was for The Pianist in 2002, where he became the youngest person to win the category at 29 years old.
He opened his acceptance speech by “giving thanks for the tremendous outpouring of love that I’ve felt from this world and every individual that has treated me with respect and appreciation.”
He continued: “I’m here once again to represent the lingering traumas and the repercussions of war and systematic oppression of antisemitism and racism, and othering.
“I pray for a healthier and 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.”
Best supporting actress
A tearful Zoe Saldaña accepted her first Academy Award for best supporting actress in the Spanish language, French-made musical Emilia Pérez.
Saldaña’s win wraps up a successful award season, having won best supporting actress at the Golden Globes, the Critics’ Choice Awards, the BAFTAs and the Screen Actors Guild Awards.
In a passionate speech dedicated to her grandmother, she said: “My grandmother came to this country in 1961. I am a proud child of immigrant parents. With dreams and dignity and hard-working hands.
“And I am the first American of Dominican origin to accept an Academy Award. And I know I will not be the last.”
Best supporting actor
Kieran Culkin took home the evening’s first award for his role in Jessie Eisenberg’s A Real Pain, completing a sweep of the best supporting category he dominated in this awards season.
Presented by Robert Downey Jr, the Home Alone stars win marked his first ever Oscar and nomination.
Best director
Presented by Quentin Tarantino, Anora’s Sean Baker took home best director.
In his acceptance speech, Baker shined a light on struggling cinemas in the US, saying the “theatre going experience is under threat”.
He called on people to continue going to the cinema to keep the tradition “alive”, adding that “in a time in which the world can feel very divided, this is more important than ever.”
“It’s a communal experience you simply don’t get at home. If we don’t reverse this trend, we’ll be losing a vital part of our culture. This is my battle cry.”
Best adapted screenplay
British screenwriter Peter Straughan was awarded best adapted screenplay for Conclave.
The papal intrigue film is based on the 2016 novel of the same name by British novelist Robert Harris.
As well as thanking Harris and the film’s cast and crew, he thanked his daughter, Connie, saying the award was for her.
Best original screenplay
Sean Baker took home best original screenplay for Anora.
In his acceptance speech, he thanked the sex worker community for sharing their stories and life experiences with him.
“I want to thank the sex worker community. They have shared their stories, they have shared their life experience with me over the years. My deepest respect. Thank you. I share this with you,” he said.
Best costume design
Paul Tazewell became the first black man to win the award for best costume design for Wicked.
It was Tazewell’s first ever Oscar, who said it was a “very significant honour” and he was “so proud of this”.
He thanked everyone in the UK “for all your beautiful work”, as well as the film’s leading star,s Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande.
Best documentary feature film
“Together our voices are stronger”: That was the message from Israeli investigative journalist Yuval Abraham as he picked up the award for best documentary feature film for No Other Land.
Directed by Abraham, Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal and Rachel Szor, the documentary is a collaboration between Israeli and Palestinian filmmakers, and tells the story of Palestinian activists fighting to protect their communities from demolition by the Israeli military.
Abraham said: “When I look at Basel, I see my brother. But we are unequal.
“We live in a regime where I am free under civilian law and Basel is under military laws that destroy his life and he cannot control.
“There is a different path, a political solution without ethnic supremacy, with national rights for both of our people.”
Best Cinematography
English cinematographer Lol Crawley took home the best cinematographer for The Brutalist.
Crawley thanked the film’s director, Brady Corbet, “for recognising the richest diamonds are always the hardest to mine and for standing by me if I ever fail to succeed.”
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