By Abigail Philip David
The 97th Academy Awards delivered a night of historic victories, emotional tributes, and standout performances.
This year’s theme, Community and Spirit, paid homage to the 29 lives lost and thousands of homes destroyed in the devastating 2025 Los Angeles wildfires. The ceremony not only celebrated cinematic brilliance but also honored those in the industry who have pushed storytelling to new heights.
Held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California, the star-studded event began with a dazzling red carpet, followed by the main ceremony from 1 AM to 4 AM (WAT) on March 3, 2025. The night kicked off with a breathtaking performance of Defy Gravity by Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, setting the tone for an unforgettable evening.
Full List of Winners at the 2025 Academy Awards
Best Picture
🏆 Winner: Anora
- The Brutalist
- A Complete Unknown
- Conclave
- Dune: Part Two
- Emilia Pérez
- I’m Still Here
- Nickel Boys
- The Substance
- Wicked
Best Actor in a Leading Role
🏆 Winner: Adrien Brody
- Timothée Chalamet
- Colman Domingo
- Ralph Fiennes
- Sebastian Stan
Best Actress in a Leading Role
🏆 Winner: Cynthia Erivo (Wicked)
- Karla Sofía Gascón (Emilia Pérez)
- Mikey Madison (Anora)
- Demi Moore (The Substance)
- Fernanda Torres (I’m Still Here)
Best Supporting Actress
🏆 Winner: Zoe Saldaña (Emilia Pérez)
- Monica Barbaro (A Complete Unknown)
- Ariana Grande (Wicked)
- Felicity Jones (The Brutalist)
- Isabella Rossellini (Conclave)
Best Supporting Actor
🏆 Winner: Kieran Culkin (A Real Pain)
- Yura Borisov (Anora)
- Edward Norton (A Complete Unknown)
- Guy Pearce (The Brutalist)
- Jeremy Strong (The Apprentice)
Best Director
🏆 Winner: Sean Baker (Anora)
- Jacques Audiard (Emilia Pérez)
- Brady Corbet (The Brutalist)
- Coralie Fargeat (The Substance)
- James Mangold (A Complete Unknown)
Best International Feature Film
🏆 Winner: I’m Still Here (Brazil)
- The Girl with the Needle (Denmark)
- Emilia Pérez (France)
- The Seed of the Sacred Fig (Germany)
- Flow (Latvia)
Best Animated Feature Film
🏆 Winner: Flow
- Inside Out 2
- Memoir of a Snail
- Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
- The Wild Robot
Best Original Screenplay
🏆 Winner: Anora – Sean Baker
- The Brutalist – Brady Corbet & Mona Fastvold
- A Real Pain – Jesse Eisenberg
- September 5 – Moritz Binder, Tim Fehlbaum, Alex David
- The Substance – Coralie Fargeat
Best Adapted Screenplay
🏆 Winner: Conclave – Peter Straughan
- A Complete Unknown – Jay Cocks & James Mangold
- Emilia Pérez – Jacques Audiard
- Nickel Boys – RaMell Ross & Joslyn Barnes
- Sing Sing – Clint Bentley & Greg Kwedar
Best Original Song
🏆 Winner: El Mal (Emilia Pérez)
- Never Too Late (Elton John: Never Too Late)
- Mi Camino (Emilia Pérez)
- Like A Bird (Sing Sing)
- The Journey (The Six Triple Eight)
Best Original Score
🏆 Winner: The Brutalist
- Conclave
- Emilia Pérez
- Wicked
- The Wild Robot
Best Cinematography
🏆 Winner: The Brutalist
- Dune: Part Two
- Emilia Pérez
- Maria
- Nosferatu
Best Film Editing
🏆 Winner: Anora
- The Brutalist
- Conclave
- Emilia Pérez
- Wicked
Best Production Design
🏆 Winner: Wicked
- The Brutalist
- Dune: Part Two
- Nosferatu
- Conclave
Best Costume Design
🏆 Winner: Wicked
- Nosferatu
- A Complete Unknown
- Conclave
- Gladiator II
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
🏆 Winner: The Substance
- A Different Man
- Emilia Pérez
- Nosferatu
- Wicked
Best Sound
🏆 Winner: Dune: Part Two
- A Complete Unknown
- Emilia Pérez
- Wicked
- The Wild Robot
Best Visual Effects
🏆 Winner: Dune: Part Two
- Alien: Romulus
- Better Man
- Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
- Wicked
Best Documentary Feature
🏆 Winner: No Other Land
- Black Box Diaries
- Porcelain War
- Soundtrack to a Coup d’État
- Sugarcane
Best Documentary Short
🏆 Winner: The Only Girl in the Orchestra
- Death by Numbers
- I Am Ready, Warden
- Incident
- Instruments of a Beating Heart
Best Live Action Short Film
🏆 Winner: I’m Not a Robot
- Anuja
- The Last Ranger
- A Lien
- The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent
Best Animated Short Film
🏆 Winner: In the Shadow of the Cypress
- Beautiful Men
- Magic Candies
- Wander to Wonder
- Yuck!
A Night to Remember
The 2025 Academy Awards showcased groundbreaking achievements in cinema, with Anora, Wicked, and The Brutalist emerging as big winners. The night was filled with historic wins, emotional tributes, and powerful performances, making it a celebration of storytelling that will be remembered for years to come.
