LOS ANGELES – The 97th Academy Awards, held at the Dolby Theatre on Sunday, was a night of historic achievements, emotional speeches, and a celebration of cinema’s diverse voices. Anora, directed by Sean Baker and distributed by Neon, dominated the ceremony with five Oscar wins, including best picture, best director, best actress, best original screenplay, and best editing—the most of any film nominated.
Sean Baker made history as the first person to win four Oscars for the same film, an unprecedented feat in Academy history. During his best director acceptance speech, Baker delivered a passionate plea for the preservation of the theatrical movie experience, urging filmmakers and distributors to continue prioritizing big-screen releases.
“We are all here tonight and watching this broadcast because we love movies,” Baker said. “Where did we fall in love with the movies? At the theater. Watching a film with an audience is an experience that brings us together, something that cannot be replicated at home. In a time when the world feels increasingly divided, this communal experience is more important than ever.”
Baker noted that over 1,000 theaters had shut down since the COVID-19 pandemic and encouraged industry professionals to fight for the survival of cinemas.
Beyond Anora’s success, the 2025 Oscars were marked by groundbreaking achievements across multiple categories.
• Adrien Brody, The Brutalist, became the first actor to win two best actor Oscars without a loss, having previously won in 2003 for The Pianist.
• Paul Tazewell, Wicked, became the first Black man to win best costume design. The award was a landmark moment for diversity in technical categories.
• Zoe Saldana, Emilia Pérez, became the first American of Dominican descent to win an Oscar, taking home the best supporting actress award.
• Flow, a Latvian animated film, won best animated feature, making Latvia the first Baltic nation to win in this category.
• The Palestinian-Israeli documentary No Other Land won best documentary feature
• Films from Brazil, I’m Still Here, and Iran, In the Shadow of the Cypress, also won awards, reflecting a more globally inclusive Oscars.
Dune: Part Two dominated technical categories, winning best sound and best visual effects. Wicked also had a strong presence, with best production design, Nathan Crowley and Lee Sandales, and best costume design, Paul Tazewell. Best cinematography went to Lol Crawley, The Brutalist, while best original score was awarded to Daniel Blumberg, The Brutalist.
Hulu Streaming Issues Frustrate Viewers
The Oscars were streamed live for the first time on Hulu, but the platform suffered technical difficulties, cutting out for some viewers just before the biggest awards of the night. Many frustrated users took to social media to express their disappointment when a message appeared on their screens stating, “Thank you for watching! This live event has now ended.” Hulu later apologized, attributing the issue to server overload.
Comedian Conan O’Brien hosted the ceremony for the first time, delivering an opening monologue filled with sharp humor and pop culture references. He poked fun at nominated films like A Complete Unknown and Wicked, addressed the controversy surrounding best actor nominee Karla Sofía Gascón, and even joked about Netflix’s price hikes and the rise of artificial intelligence in Hollywood.
O’Brien balanced humor with solemn moments, acknowledging recent wildfires in Los Angeles and honoring the behind-the-scenes workers who make Hollywood run.
Quincy Jones Tribute
A special tribute was held for legendary composer Quincy Jones, who passed away in November at 91 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. Oprah Winfrey and Whoopi Goldberg gave a heartfelt speech about his contributions to music and film, followed by Queen Latifah’s performance of “Ease on Down the Road” from The Wiz.
A standout moment of the night was a James Bond tribute performance honoring the producers of the 007 franchise, Michael Wilson and Barbara Broccoli.
With Anora’s sweeping success and Sean Baker’s impassioned call to protect theaters, this year’s Academy Awards underscored Hollywood’s ongoing debate between streaming and theatrical releases. The dominance of international films, diverse winners, and independent studios like Neon also signals a continued shift toward more inclusive storytelling in global cinema.