Hollywood’s most illustrious event, the Academy Awards, delivered its usual mix of upsets and triumphs on Sunday night.
The indie sensation Anora—a gritty tale of sex workers and Russian oligarchs in Brooklyn’s Brighton Beach—dominated the night, sweeping multiple categories, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Film Editing, per Deadline.
Director Sean Baker made history with four awards, tying Walt Disney’s long-standing record for most individual Oscars won in a single year. The catch? Disney’s wins were spread across multiple films, while Baker took home all his statuettes for a single movie—an unprecedented feat, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
“I saved this film in the edit,” Baker quipped while accepting the Oscar for Best Film Editing. “That director should never work again.”
The night’s surprises didn’t stop there. Anora’s Mikey Madison pulled off a shock Best Actress win, besting heavyweights like Demi Moore (The Substance), Fernanda Torres (I’m Still Here), Cynthia Erivo (Wicked), and Karla Sofía Gascón (Emilia Pérez). Meanwhile, Emilia Pérez still had its moment, with Zoe Saldaña taking home Best Supporting Actress.
“My grandmother came to this country in 1961. I am a proud child of immigrant parents. With dreams, dignity, and hardworking hands,” Saldaña said in her acceptance speech, per the Associated Press. “And I am the first American of Dominican origin to accept an Academy Award. And I know I will not be the last.”
In another milestone, Paul Tazewell became the first Black man to win the Oscar for Best Costume Design, cementing his place in Academy Awards history.
The Best Actor race also had its drama. Adrien Brody snagged the trophy for The Brutalist, ending Complete Unknown star Timothée Chalamet’s awards-season streak. For Brody, it was a full-circle moment, earning his second Oscar more than two decades after his first for The Pianist.
Beyond the glitz, the 2025 Academy Awards reflected deeper cultural shifts in Hollywood and beyond. From Baker’s historic sweep to groundbreaking wins for actors and designers, the night underscored the industry’s slow but steady evolution in representation and storytelling. At a time when labor disputes, streaming dominance, and global political tensions are reshaping the film landscape, this year’s Oscars served as both a celebration of artistic ambition and a reminder of cinema’s enduring power to push boundaries—on and off the screen.
