The 97th Academy Awards: Anora Dominates Awards Night

The 97th Academy Awards ceremony took place at the Dolby Theatre, featuring comedian Conan O’Brien as the host for the first time. This event recognized films released in the previous year, showcasing a diverse array of talent and storytelling. Among the standout films was Sean Baker's low-budget drama 'Anora', which achieved remarkable success by winning multiple prestigious awards. 'Anora' secured the titles of Best Picture, Best Director for Sean Baker, and Best Original Screenplay, culminating in a total of five awards for the night. This achievement positioned Baker as only the second individual in history to win four competitive Oscars in a single ceremony, following Walt Disney's precedent. In addition to 'Anora', the awards highlighted other notable performances and films. Adrien Brody received his second Best Actor Oscar for his role in 'The Brutalist', while Mikey Madison was awarded Best Actress for her performance in 'Anora'. Supporting acting awards went to Kieran Culkin for 'A Real Pain' and Zoe Saldaña for 'Emilia Pérez'. The ceremony also recognized the Lithuanian-French animated film 'Flow' as the winner of the Animated Feature category, and the Brazilian-Portuguese film 'I’m Still Here' took home the award for International Feature. Paul Tazewell made history as the first Black costume designer to win an Oscar for his work on 'Wicked'. The event included musical performances by Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, and it paid tribute to filmmakers who had recently passed away, reflecting on the impact of their contributions to cinema. • Hosted by comedian Conan O’Brien (his debut). The show honoured films released in 2024. • Best Picture & Director: Sean Baker’s low‑budget drama Anora swept the night, winning Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. The film led the ceremony with five wins. Other nominees included The Brutalist, A Complete Unknown, Conclave, Dune: Part Two, Emilia Pérez, I’m Still Here, Nickel Boys, The Substance and Wicked. • Acting awards: Adrien Brody won his second Best Actor Oscar for playing an architect in The Brutalist. Mikey Madison won Best Actress for Anora. Kieran Culkin (A Real Pain) and Zoe Saldaña (Emilia Pérez) won the supporting acting awards. • Other highlights: Anora also won Film Editing and Original Screenplay, making Sean Baker only the second person (after Walt Disney) to win four competitive Oscars in one night. The Lithuanian‑French animation Flow won Animated Feature, while Brazilian‑Portuguese film I’m Still Here took International Feature. Paul Tazewell became the first Black costume designer to win an Oscar for Wicked. The ceremony paid tribute to recently deceased filmmakers and included musical performances by Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo