Anora Sweeps the Winnings at the 97th Academy Awards
Image Courtesy of NPR
By Luis Zonenberg
With the Screen Actors Guild Awards (SAG) commemorating the best actors last week, we now close out this awards season with the 97th Academy Awards Ceremony. The long bumpy road to here had many people guessing who would be snubbed and who would take home the gold. Hosted by the underrated Conan O’Brien, the ceremony kicked off with Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo singing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” followed by “Defying Gravity”.
This led into Conan O’Brien’s monologue, beginning with a parody of the Substance, topped off with him breaking into a tap dance routine, singing how he wouldn’t waste anyone’s time. This was complemented with the Dune worm playing the piano and the harp as Deadpool danced onto the stage with Conan O’Brien. This was later followed by a fantastic James Bond tribute, featuring LISA, RAYE and Doja Cat performing several iconic songs from the franchise.
As far as the awards are concerned though, the most notable highlight of the night was Sean Baker’s Anora sweeping five Oscars, including Best Picture. Mickey Madison also surprised audiences taking home the trophy for Best Actress. Baker himself set a new record for most Oscars received by a single person, with him also taking home the gold for Best Director, Best Editing and Best Original Screenplay.
The Brutalist followed behind Anora with three wins, including Best Music and Best Cinematography. The real highlight was Adrien Brody winning Best Actor for the film. He delivered the longest acceptance speech in Oscars history, clocking in at around 5 minutes and 40 seconds. Despite it being that long, the speech itself was very sweet and showcased the genuine humility Brody encompasses.
Dune: Part Two, Emilia Perez, and Wicked all tied for third most wins with each film receiving two awards. Dune: Part Two and Wicked won most of the technical awards, with the former receiving Best Sound and Best Visual Effects while the latter won Best Production and Costume Design. The latter award is most notable since the recipient, Paul Tazewell, was the first African American man to win the award.
Emilia Perez was the most nominated film of the night, garnering 13 nominations overall. Of those 13 nominations, the film ultimately snagged two: one for Best Original Song (“El Mal”) and Best Supporting Actress (Zoe Saldaña). Though shortly after Saldaña received her much deserved win, she was confronted by numerous reporters and apologized for the backlash of Mexican representation in Emilia Perez.
With every new winner comes a new snub and there were plenty there tonight. Though Mickey Madison was a talented actress in Anora, it was a surprise to see Demi Moore snubbed for her terrific portrayal in the Substance. The film at least did win an Oscar for Best Makeup & Hairstyling, at the cost of Nosferatu losing it though. Of Nosferatu’s four Oscar nominations, the film did not receive a single award. Similarly, A Complete Unknown also failed to snag an Oscar despite having eight nominations in total.
Some wins were inevitable—such as Kieran Culkin winning Best Supporting Actor for A Real Pain—but other wins did take audiences by surprise. While many were thinking The Brutalist or Conclave would have taken home the gold, it was indeed a shock to see Anora sweep up five Oscar wins in total. Many records were broken and new heights have been set as this awards season comes to an end. It will be interesting to see what films in 2025 may stand a chance next year when the season returns.
