The cast and crew of Anora, including Alex Coco, Mikey Madison, Sean Baker, Yura Borisov, and Mark Eydelshteyn, accept the Best Picture award at the 97th Annual Oscars. Photo / Getty Images
The cast and crew of Anora, including Alex Coco, Mikey Madison, Sean Baker, Yura Borisov, and Mark Eydelshteyn, accept the Best Picture award at the 97th Annual Oscars. Photo / Getty Images
The shock results of the 97th Academy Awards saw independent cinema reign supreme, with the filmmakers of surprise Best Picture winner Anora giving a heartfelt plea to viewers to ditch the streaming services and head to the cinemas.
Unexpected scenes at the Dolby Theatre also arose when Best Actress was announced, with The Substance actress and predicted frontrunner Demi Moore missing out to Anora actress Mikey Madison.
Anora's Mikey Maddison wins the Best Actress Oscar over Demi Moore. Photo / Getty Images
Clearly emotional in her acceptance speech, Madison, who plays a sex worker in the film, told the crowd, “I want to recognise and honour the sex worker community. I will continue to support and be an ally.”
She also paid tribute to her fellow nominees, including Moore.
“I want to recognise the thoughtful intelligent beautiful breathtaking work of my fellow nominees. I’m honoured to be recognised alongside all of you. This is a dream come true.”
Finally, she thanked the film’s director Sean Baker. “I adore you. This is all because of you, thank you.”
Indie film Anora won Best Picture at the 2025 Oscars.
Baker, accepting the Best Picture award, told the room of the film’s meagre US$6 million ($10.7m) budget, and that the win was a testament to the power of independent cinema.
He had earlier accepted both the Best Director and Best Original Screenplay awards, giving Anora a clean sweep of major gongs.
In all of his speeches, Baker referenced the failing theatre climate and gave what he described as a “war cry” to filmmakers and patrons.
“Where did we fall in love with the movies? At the movie theatre. In a time when the world is becoming more and more divided, [going to the movies] is more crucial than ever,” he said.
“Filmmakers, keep making films for the big screen, I know I will. Parents, introduce your children to movies in the movie theatre. Let’s keep the movie-going tradition alive and well.”
Although The Brutalist’s Adrien Brody scooped up his second ever Oscar for his performance in the four-hour post-war epic (which also won Best Cinematography and Best Score), the film itself couldn’t quite match its earlier Golden Globe Best Picture win.
Adrien Brody accepts his second ever Academy Award for his performance in The Brutalist. Photo / Getty Images
As exit music started to play during his heartfelt speech, veteran actor Brody, who previously won an Oscar for playing Holocaust survivor Władysław Szpilman in The Pianist (2002), asked them to “please turn it off”.
“I pray for a happier and a healthier and a more inclusive world,” he finished. “If the past can teach us anything, it’s to not let hate go unchecked.”
Sadly, the New Zealand contingent of visual effects wizards from Wellington’s Wētā FX, who worked on three of the Best Visual Effects nominated films, missed out on the top prize to the artists of Dune: Part 2.
Despite this, there will no doubt be plenty of proud supporters at home. The crew’s three nominations for work on Better Man, Alien: Romulus, and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes saw the most individual nominations in the company’s history.
Controversial musical Emilia Perez missed out on most of the major awards it was nominated for, with the exception of a Best Supporting Actress win for Zoe Saldana, who burst into tears while accepting her award.
“I am a proud child of immigrant parents, with dreams and dignity and hardworking hands,” she said.
“I’m the first American of Dominican origin to receive an Academy Award and I will not be the last.”
Zoe Saldana accepts the Best Actress In A Supporting Role award for "Emilia Pérez". Photo / Getty Images
The night was hosted without any major incident of gaffe by host Conan O’Brien.
Major tributes included an emotional memorial by Morgan Freeman for his recently deceased friend Gene Hackman, and a standing ovation for the first responders of the recent California wildfires, which caused a delay in the ceremony date.
Check out the Herald’s live coverage and a full list of winners and nominees below:
