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culture

Oscars 2025 recap: Biggest moments from the 97th Academy Awards

PHOTO: Adrien Brody, Mikey Madison, Zoe Saldana, and Kieran Culkin pose in the press room at the Oscar, Mar. 2, 2025, in Los Angeles.
2:16
Maya Dehlin Spach/Getty Images
Best moments from the 2025 Oscars
By Hayley FitzPatrick, Carson Blackwelder, Angeline Jane Bernabe, Mason Leib
Last Updated: March 3, 2025, 3:30 AM

The 2025 Oscars honored the best in cinema from the past year Sunday night.

The 97th Academy Awards, hosted by Conan O'Brien, ended with "Anora" taking home the coveted trophy for best picture.

Oscars 2025: Complete winners list

"Anora" was the top film of the night, taking home five Oscars including best director for Sean Baker.

The top acting prizes went to Adrien Brody, who won best actor for "The Brutalist," and Mikey Madison, who won best actress for "Anora." Winning in the supporting categories were "Emilia Pérez" star Zoe Saldaña and "A Real Pain" star Kieran Culkin.

Heading into the ceremony, "Emilia Pérez" led the field of nominees with 13 total Oscar nominations. It ended the night with two trophies.

Oscars red carpet 2025: See what stars wore for Hollywood's biggest night

This year's show honored the city of Los Angeles in the wake of the wildfires that left at least 29 dead and destroyed thousands of homes earlier this year, bringing firefighters onto the Oscars stage and hosting a charitable component to raise money for fire victims.

The Oscars ceremony aired live on ABC and streamed live on Hulu for the first time.

Scroll down for a recap of the 2025 Oscars.

Key moments:

  • 'Anora' wins best picture Oscar
  • Mikey Madison wins best actress Oscar
  • Sean Baker wins best director Oscar for 'Anora'
  • Adrien Brody wins best actor Oscar
Here's how the night unfolded. All times Eastern.

Mar 03, 2025 3:30 AM

Sean Baker wins best director Oscar for 'Anora'

Sean Baker won the Oscar for best director for "Anora.”

PHOTO: Best director, Sean Baker for Anora, at Academy Awards, March 2, 2025.
Rob Latour/shutterstock
Best director, Sean Baker for Anora, at Academy Awards, March 2, 2025.
Rob Latour/shutterstock

Other nominees in the category included Brady Corbet for "The Brutalist," James Mangold for "A Complete Unknown," Jacques Audiard for "Emilia Pérez" and Coralie Fargeat for "The Substance."


Mar 03, 2025 3:22 AM

Adrien Brody says his Oscar 'signifies a destination' in acceptance speech

During his best actor acceptance speech, Adrien Brody thanked his team, the cast of "The Brutalist," his family and more.

"Acting is a very fragile profession. It looks very glamorous -- and at certain moments, it is. But the one thing that I've gained, having the privilege to come back here, is to have some perspective, and no matter where you are in your career, no matter what you've accomplished, it can all go away," he said.

PHOTO: Adrien Brody accepts the Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role for "The Brutalist" during the Oscars show at the 97th Academy Awards in Hollywood,, March 2, 2025.
Carlos Barria/Reuters
Adrien Brody accepts the Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role for "The Brutalist" during the Oscars show at the 97th Academy Awards in Hollywood,, March 2, 2025.
Carlos Barria/Reuters

He said the award signified "a destination," calling it "a chance to begin again and the opportunity to hopefully be fortunate enough so that the next 20 years of my life, that I can prove that I am worthy of such meaningful and important and relevant roles."

He concluded by speaking about the film's message.

"I'm here once again to represent the lingering traumas and the repercussions of war and systematic oppression and of antisemitism and racism and of othering, and I believe that -- I pray for a healthier and a happier and a more inclusive world. And I believe if the past can teach us anything, it's a reminder to not let hate go unchecked," he said.


Mar 03, 2025 3:22 AM

Adrien Brody wins best actor Oscar

Adrien Brody won the Oscar for best actor for his performance in "The Brutalist."

PHOTO: Adrien Brody is seen in a still from the film "The Brutalist."
Lol Crawley/A24
Adrien Brody is seen in a still from the film "The Brutalist."
Lol Crawley/A24

The award was presented by last year's best actor winner, "Oppenheimer" star Cillian Murphy.

Other nominees in the best actor race included Timothée Chalamet for "A Complete Unknown," Colman Domingo for "Sing Sing," Ralph Fiennes for "Conclave" and Sebastian Stan for "The Apprentice."



Mar 03, 2025 3:22 AM

Quincy Jones honored with musical tribute from Queen Latifah

Legendary record producer and composer Quincy Jones was honored during the Oscars.

Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey opened the tribute with kind words about the late Jones, with whom they both worked in the past, before introducing Queen Latifah onstage, who performed "Ease on Down the Road" from "The Wiz."

PHOTO: Queen Latifah performs onstage during the 97th Annual Oscars at Dolby Theatre, on March 2, 2025, in Hollywood, Calif.
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Queen Latifah performs onstage during the 97th Annual Oscars at Dolby Theatre, on March 2, 2025, in Hollywood, Calif.
Kevin Winter/Getty Images

"Quincy was love, lived out loud, in human form. And he poured that love into others and into his work," Winfrey said.

PHOTO: Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey speak onstage during the 97th Annual Oscars March 2, 2025 in Hollywood.
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey speak onstage during the 97th Annual Oscars March 2, 2025 in Hollywood.
Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Jones, who was nominated for seven Oscars during his legendary career, including three for 1985's "The Color Purple," died in November 2024 at age 91.

Jones received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the 67th Academy Awards and posthumously received an honorary Oscar at the 2024 Governors Awards two weeks after his death, with his children accepting the trophy on his behalf.

Prior to the ceremony, Raj Kapoor -- executive producer and showrunner for this year's Oscars -- previewed the Jones tribute as a "beautiful moment that we hope will uplift the room, that will celebrate the spirit of Quincy and all of his greatness."


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