The 97th Academy Awards were a triumph for independent film, with director Sean Baker's film Anora winning five prizes, including Best Picture. In addition, the Palestinian-Israeli documentary No Other Land took home Best Documentary after being shunned by studios, and is the first Palestinian film to win an Oscar.
“Long live independent film,” said Baker on stage during his Best Picture acceptance speech.
Anora, which won the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival in May, also won Best Actress for Mikey Madison.
The Brutalist, an independent film produced by A24, about a Holocaust survivor who struggles as an architect in postwar America, also took home multiple honours, including Best Cinematography, Best Score and Best Actor for lead performer Adrien Brody.
Brody denounced war and anti-Semitism in his speech, saying: “If the past can teach us anything it is to not let hate go unchecked.”
Brody's was not the only political statement of the night. Presenter Daryl Hannah also expressed solidarity for Ukraine, and Basel Adra, the Palestinian co-director, called for the world to end the “ethnic cleaning of the Palestinian people” in his acceptance speech.
Other multiple award winners included Dune: Part Two, Emilia Perez and Wicked, each of them taking two prizes.
There were major milestones and firsts throughout the night, including Wicked crew member Paul Tazewell becoming the first black man to win an Oscar for costume design. The independent Latvian movie Flow also won best animated film, with Latvia becoming the smallest country by population to win an Oscar.
Here is the full list of winners for the Academy Awards 2025:
Best Picture
WINNER: Anora
The Brutalist
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Perez
I’m Still Here
Nickel Boys
The Substance
Wicked
Directing
WINNER: Sean Baker, Anora
Brady Corbet, The Brutalist
James Mangold, A Complete Unknown
Jacques Audiard, Emilia Perez
Coralie Fargeat, The Substance
Actor in a Leading Role
WINNER: Adrien Brody, The Brutalist
Timothee Chalamet, A Complete Unknown
Colman Domingo, Sing Sing
Ralph Fiennes, Conclave
Sebastian Stan, The Apprentice
Actress in a Leading Role
WINNER: Mikey Madison, Anora
Cynthia Erivo, Wicked
Karla Sofia Gascon, Emilia Perez
Demi Moore, The Substance
Fernanda Torres, I’m Still Here
Supporting Actor
WINNER: Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain
Yura Borisov, Anora
Edward Norton, A Complete Unknown
Guy Pearce, The Brutalist
Jeremy Strong, The Apprentice
Supporting Actress
WINNER: Zoe Saldana, Emilia Perez
Monica Barbaro, A Complete Unknown
Ariana Grande, Wicked
Felicity Jones, The Brutalist
Isabella Rossellini, Conclave
International Feature Film
WINNER: I’m Still Here (Brazil)
The Girl with the Needle (Denmark)
Emilia Perez (France)
The Seed of the Sacred Fig (Germany)
Flow (Latvia)
Original Song
WINNER: El Mal from Emilia Perez
The Journey from The Six Triple Eight
Like a Bird from Sing Sing
Mi Camino from Emilia Perez
Never Too Late from Elton John: Never Too Late
Original Screenplay
WINNER: Anora
The Brutalist
A Real Pain
September 5
The Substance
Adapted Screenplay
WINNER: Conclave
A Complete Unknown
Emilia Perez
Nickel Boys
Sing Sing
Costume Design
WINNER: Paul Tazewell, Wicked
Arianne Phillips, A Complete Unknown
Lisy Christl, Conclave
Janty Yates and Dave Crossman, Gladiator II
Linda Muir, Nosferatu
Original Score
WINNER: Daniel Blumberg, The Brutalist
Volker Bertelmann, Conclave
Clement Ducol and Camille, Emilia Perez
John Powell and Stephen Schwartz, Wicked
Kris Bowers, The Wild Robot
Live Action Short Film
WINNER: I’m Not A Robot
A Lien
Anuja
The Last Ranger
The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent
Animated Short Film
WINNER: In the Shadow of the Cypress
Beautiful Men
Magic Candies
Wander to Wonder
Yuck!
Animated Feature Film
WINNER: Flow
Inside Out 2
Memoir of a Snail
Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
The Wild Robot
Documentary Feature Film
WINNER: No Other Land
Black Box Diaries
Porcelain War
Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat
Sugarcane
Documentary Short Film
WINNER: The Only Girl in the Orchestra
Death by Numbers
I Am Ready, Warden
Incident
Instruments of a Beating Heart
Production Design
WINNER: Wicked
The Brutalist
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Nosferatu
Film Editing
WINNER: Anora
The Brutalist
Conclave
Emilia Perez
Wicked
Cinematography
WINNER: The Brutalist
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Perez
Maria
Nosferatu
Visual Effects
WINNER: Dune: Part Two
Alien: Romulus
Better Man
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Wicked
Make-up and Hairstyling
WINNER: Pierre-Olivier Persin, Stephanie Guillon and Marilyne Scarselli, The Substance
Mike Marino, David Presto and Crystal Jurado, A Different Man
Julia Floch Carbonel, Emmanuel Janvier and Jean-Christophe Spadaccini, Emilia Perez
David White, Traci Loader and Suzanne Stokes-Munton, Nosferatu
Frances Hannon, Laura Blount and Sarah Nuth, Wicked
