The best picture trophy at the 97th Academy Awards was awarded to "Anora" after a major upset. Following its win at the 2024 Palme d'Or, "Anora" became the third film to win both awards at the two festivals.
On March 2 (local time), the 97th Academy Awards was held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. American comedian Conan O'Brien, known for his humorous storytelling, hosted the event for the first time.
The 97th Academy Awards kicked off with a celebratory performance by pop stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, and Conan O'Brien's humor-filled opening remarks elicited laughter.
This year, French auteur Jacques Audiard's "Emilia Perez" was nominated in the most categories, with 13 nominations for best picture, best director, best actress, and best adapted screenplay. Meanwhile, "Brutalist" and "Wicked" were nominated in 10 categories, "Complete Unknown" and "Conclave" in 8 categories, and "Anora" in 6 categories.
The prestigious best picture nominees included "Brutalist," "Substance," "Anora," "Complete Unknown," "Conclave," "Dune: Part 2," "Emilia Perez," "I'm Still Here," "Wicked," and "Nickel Boys," totaling 10 films competing.
Ahead of the main voting, "Brutalist" and "Emilia Perez" emerged as strong contenders, but "Brutalist" found itself embroiled in controversy over its use of generative AI, while "Emilia Perez" faced backlash for derogatory expressions towards Mexicans and transgender individuals. Additionally, the past hateful remarks of lead actress Carla Sofia Gascon resurfaced, intensifying the controversy.
Amidst these controversies, the best picture award went to "Anora." The lead actors of "Anora" expressed their joy with teary eyes as they took the stage. Samantha Kwan remarked, "We made this with a production budget of $6 million. We produced it independently. If you're making independent films, keep making them. More is needed. This is proof of that."
Alex Coco also expressed, "I don't know how this could be real. It's been an amazing and impossible journey over the past 10 months. We made it with very little money, but we sincerely convey this to all aspiring and young filmmakers. Tell the stories you want to tell. If you have a director, you will never regret it," and emphasized that "This film was made with the blood, sweat, and tears of incredible indie artists."
"Anora" is also a winner of the 2024 Palme d'Or. This marks only the third time the Academy has awarded the best picture Oscar to a film that won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. It started with Delbert Mann's "Marty" in 1956 and followed by Bong Joon-ho's "Parasite" in 2020, and now Sean Baker's "Anora" in 2025.
The failure of "Brutalist" and "Emilia Perez" to win the best picture award is speculated to be due to the renewed scrutiny around the use of generative AI that sparked the 2023 Hollywood strikes and the hateful remarks.
In addition, the best director nominations included Sean Baker ("Anora"), Brady Corbet ("Brutalist"), James Mangold ("Complete Unknown"), Jacques Audiard ("Emilia Perez"), and Coralie Fargeat ("Substance").
The best director award also went to "Anora." Upon taking the stage, director Sean Baker said, "I thank the Academy. I also thank my peers. We are all watching this because we love cinema. Where did we fall in love with cinema? That would be the movie theater," imparting the message that films should be watched in theaters.
The best actor nominees included Adrien Brody for "Brutalist," Timothy Chalamet for "Complete Unknown," Sebastian Stan for "Apprentice," Ralph Fiennes for "Conclave," and Coleman Domingo for "Sing Sing," with Adrien Brody taking home the trophy.
Adrien Brody, who won the Academy Award for Best Actor at the age of 29 for "The Pianist," is competing for a second Oscar after "The Pianist." If Timothy Chalamet wins this year, it would set a new record for the youngest best actor. However, Brody maintained his record as the youngest with his second Academy Award win.
Adrien Brody stated, "Acting is a very fragile profession. It can look very glamorous and at times it really is, but one privilege I have gained from coming here is perspective. It doesn't matter at what stage of the career you are, nor what you have achieved. Everything can disappear."
He added, "I am grateful that I can still do what I love. Winning this kind of award means there is a destination," and stated, "What my character mentions in the film goes for me as well. The pinnacle of a career, it's an opportunity. An opportunity to start over."
"Brutalist" tells the story of genius architect Laszlo Toth (played by Adrien Brody) who creates innovative designs inspired by the scars and remnants of war. Brody has once again claimed the leading actor award after 22 years since "The Pianist."
Another highlight, best actress contenders included Demi Moore for "Substance," Miki Madison for "Anora," Fernanda Torres for "I'm Still Here," Cynthia Erivo for "Wicked," Carla Sofia Gascon for "Emilia Perez," and Torres again for "I'm Still Here." Although Demi Moore was a strong contender, the award went to Miki Madison for "Anora."
"Anora" depicts the story of a stripper named Anora (played by Miki Madison) who becomes enamored with a Russian heir, Ivan, as their strictly transactional relationship evolves into love.
Miki Madison expressed, "Hollywood always felt distant to me, and standing here is truly amazing," while acknowledging those who supported her. She continued, "I also want to extend my gratitude to the sex worker community. I will continue to support and be an ally," noting that "Women were one of the amazing highlights."
Miki Madison mentioned those nominated alongside her, stating, "I want to acknowledge the thoughtful, intelligent, beautiful, and breathtakingly amazing works of my fellow nominees. It feels like a dream to win with all of you."
As expected, the supporting actor awards went to Kieran Culkin for "Real Pain" and Zoe Saldana for "Emilia Perez." Zoe Saldana, known in Korea for the "Avatar" and "Guardians of the Galaxy" series, shed tears while saying, "Mom, my mom is here."
Dominican-American Zoe Saldana remarked, "My grandmother came to this country, the United States, as an immigrant in 1961. I am proud to be the daughter of an immigrant," and added, "I have become the first Dominican-American Oscar winner. But this won't be the last. My grandmother would have been proud to see me win an award after singing and acting in Spanish."
During the awards ceremony, Lisa from BLACKPINK became the first K-pop singer to perform on the Academy Awards stage. Lisa performed alongside Hollywood pop stars Doja Cat and RAY, singing theme songs from the "007" series. Lisa sang "Live And Let Die," Doja Cat performed "Diamonds are Forever," and RAY delivered a rendition of "Skyfall."
Especially as the first K-pop artist to appear on the Oscar celebration stage, Lisa showcased her sexy appeal in a black long dress, displaying her astonishing vocal talent. Additionally, she captivated audiences with her excellent choreography. Lisa was the first K-pop artist to perform at the Academy Awards.
The three performers gathered on stage after singing their respective theme songs and greeted the audience. Some actors sitting in the audience stood up to give a standing ovation.
Despite the absence of any Korean works, the adaptation of "Al-Satang" by author Baek Heena drew attention but ultimately did not win the short animated film award. "Al-Satang" was nominated for the short animated film award, but Hussein Molayemi's "Under the Cypress Shade" took home the trophy.
"Al-Satang" is a short animation based on Baek Heena's picture books "Al-Satang" and "I Am a Dog," known for her national fairy tale "Cloud Bread." It is a 21-minute work produced with the participation of Japan's largest animation studio, Toei Animation, and the production team of "The First Slam Dunk." It has received official invitations and awards from prestigious international film festivals, including the 25th New York International Children's Film Festival, the 50th Seattle International Film Festival, and the 57th Sitges Film Festival.
Here is the list of winners (works) at the 97th Academy Awards
▲Best Picture: "Anora"
▲Best Director: "Anora" Sean Baker
▲Best Actor: "Brutalist" Adrien Brody
▲Best Actress: "Anora" Miki Madison
▲Best Supporting Actor: Kieran Culkin ("Real Pain")
▲Best Supporting Actress: Zoe Saldana ("Emilia Perez")
▲Best Screenplay: "Anora"
▲Best Adapted Screenplay: "Conclave"
▲Best Editing: "Anora"
▲Best Original Score: "Emilia Perez"
▲Best Music: "Brutalist" Daniel Bloomberg
▲Best Cinematography: "Brutalist" Roll Crawley
▲Best Sound: "Dune: Part 2"
▲Best Production Design: "Wicked"
▲Best Costume Design: "Wicked"
▲Best Makeup: "Substance"
▲Best Visual Effects: "Dune: Part 2"
▲Best International Feature Film: "I'm Still Here" (Brazil)
▲Best Short Film: "I Am Not a Robot"
▲Best Feature Documentary: "No Other Land"
▲Best Short Documentary: "Only Girl in the Orchestra"
▲Best Feature Animation: "Flow"
▲Best Short Animation: "Under the Cypress Shade"
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