Oscars Stunner: ‘Anora’ Sweeps Five Wins, Erivo & Grande’s Epic Duet, and Conan’s Biting Jokes!

2025’s Oscar Awards, Hollywood’s grandest event, was a rollercoaster ride of emotions, laughter, and awkwardness. Highlights included Anora sweeping five awards, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande’s stunning performance, and host Conan O’Brien poking fun at the Emilia Pérez controversy. Here are some of the evening’s most indelible moments.

Anora Owns the Night With Five Wins

Anora swept the night, with Sean Baker’s indie underdog claiming five Oscars, among them best picture and director, while Mikey Madison secured a surprise win for best actress. “This is a dream come true. I might wake up tomorrow and find it wasn’t real,” Madison said upon receiving her award. Many associated with the film likely felt the same. Originally an independent production supported by FilmNation in New York, the movie was later acquired by Neon. The film, which made social commentary, claimed the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival and experienced several ups and downs throughout the awards season before emerging as one of the most successful Oscar winners in recent times. Read more. — Steven Zeitchik

Gen-Z Represents With Mikey Madison Best Actress Win

Mikey Madison, who plays Anora in a movie, was awarded best actress, surprisingly beating Demi Moore for her role in The Substance. In her speech from the Dolby stage, Madison, a native of Los Angeles, expressed that Hollywood always seemed distant to her. In Anora, Madison portrays a Brooklyn sex worker who marries the son of a Russian oligarch but faces trouble with his powerful family. During her acceptance speech, she acknowledged and honored the sex worker community, stating her intention to continue supporting them as an ally. The women from this community that she’s met during the experience have been particularly memorable for Madison. – Reported by Mia Galuppo

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande Defy Gravity With Performance

I was thrilled to witness Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo kickstart the Oscars with a stunning rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” As stars from the musical Wicked, they each graced the Academy Awards stage following a montage of Oscar-winning film clips. Ariana started the performance by paying homage to The Wizard of Oz with her interpretation of the classic tune. Then, Cynthia stepped onto the stage to perform Diana Ross’ “Home” from The Wiz. After Cynthia’s solo, Ariana joined her Wicked co-star for a powerful duet of “Defying Gravity.” At one point, I marveled as Ariana stepped aside to watch Cynthia hit those high notes, including the iconic riff. Keep reading to find out more… — [Your Name]

Zoe Saldaña Gives Emotional Speech for Best Supporting Actress Win

At the Dolby Theatre, during her first Oscar win for Best Supporting Actress in Emilia Pérez, a emotional Zoe Saldaña paid tribute to her family, many of whom were present. As she reached the microphone, Saldaña proudly declared, “I am a child of immigrant parents, who worked hard and held their heads up with dignity.” During her speech, Saldaña highlighted the significance of winning for a role that required her to act in Spanish. “My grandmother arrived here in 1961,” she added, expressing that if her grandmother were present, she would be overjoyed by this achievement. — Mia Galuppo

Conan O’Brien Mocks ‘Emilia Pérez’ Scandal

During his first time hosting the Oscars, Conan O’Brien jokingly referenced the Emilia Pérez scandal. He quipped, “I’m a big fan of Anora. She uses the F-word 479 times, that’s three more than the record set by Karla Sofia Gascon’s publicist.” As he spoke, O’Brien pointed out that Gascon was present, and the crowd cheered as she appeared on screen. “Karla,” he said, addressing her directly, “if you’re going to tweet about the Oscars, remember: My name is Jimmy Kimmel.” – Reported by James Hibberd

Adrien Brody Shuts Down Attempt to Cut Off His Speech

Adrien Brody, during his acceptance speech for best actor at the Oscars, pointed out that he wasn’t a novice at these events. Amid heartfelt words, he thanked his partner Georgina Chapman and others, but when the orchestra started playing to conclude the ceremony, Brody humorously asked them to stop. “I’m wrapping up,” he said, laughing. “This isn’t my first rodeo. I know how this goes. I’ll be quick.” The win marks his second Oscar, 20 years after he won for the Holocaust drama The Pianist in 2003, making him the youngest Oscar winner ever. A memorable moment from that ceremony was when Brody kissed presenter Halle Berry, and this year on the red carpet, Berry reciprocated with a kiss, reminiscent of that iconic moment. – Aaron Couch

Kieran Culkin Asks His Wife for Another Child During Acceptance Speech

Kieran Culkin bagged the Best Supporting Actor Oscar. In his heartfelt speech, he showered praises on his ‘Succession’ co-star and fellow nominee, Jeremy Strong, while expressing a desire for another child to his wife. He playfully commented, “By the way, Jeremy [Strong], you’re terrific in The Apprentice,” before a part of his speech was censored during the live broadcast apparently due to an expletive. He continued by saying, “I’m not supposed to single anyone out, it’s unfair, but you were fantastic.” Culkin then reminisced about his career journey culminating in this Oscar win, expressing surprise at reaching this point and stating that acting has always been a part of who he is. He acknowledged his longtime manager Emily Gerson Saines, emphasizing that his success was due to her, and he’d be lost without her as well as his ‘A Real Pain’ co-star Jessie Eisenberg. Read further. – McKinley Franklin

Halle Berry and Adrien Brody Share Another Iconic Kiss

Reflecting on a long-awaited moment spanning 22 years, Halle Berry and Adrien Brody rekindled their iconic connection at the Oscars’ red carpet, recreating their unexpected kiss from the 2003 Academy Awards. Just before the event began, cameras captured the heartfelt scene as Berry approached Brody for a passionate kiss. After Brody graciously accepted the smooch with a smile, they shared an affectionate hug while spectators cheered. Berry had been eagerly anticipating this chance for payback, expressing to Extra that she had been waiting “for 21 years to get him on a red carpet and plant a kiss.” Enjoy the full story by Carly Thomas.

On the evening of Sunday, the 97th Academy Awards, orchestrated by Conan O’Brien, took place at the Dolby Theatre in Ovation Hollywood. You can discover the complete list of winners right here, while you can also explore the elegant red carpet arrivals of the A-list stars here.

2025-03-03 08:25