From Zoë Saldana’s historic win to Cynthia Erivo’s unforgettable performance, here are the most memorable moments from Hollywood’s biggest night.
The 97th Academy Awards ceremony brought its share of unexpected twists and turns, as some contenders defied predictions to take home coveted Oscars, while others left empty-handed. As the dust settles on the big night, let’s get into the most memorable moments, surprises and snubs that had everyone buzzing.
Music stars shone on Hollywood’s night
On Hollywood’s big night, music came to play and it was spectacular! The ceremony opened with a thrilling performance by Wicked’s Oscar-nominated stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo.
In addition, Doja Cat, Lisa of Blackpink and Raye sang their hearts out in a tribute to the music of the “James Bond” films. Lisa sang a snippet of “Live and Let Die,” Doja took on “Diamonds are Forever,” originally sung by Shirley Bassey, and Raye sang “Skyfall,” for which Adele won an Oscar in 2012.
Queen Latifah, Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey also led a tribute to the late composer and producer, Quincy Jones, honouring his groundbreaking contributions to cinema and music.
“Anora” emerges the biggest winner
The indie darling “Anora” emerged as the big winner at tonight’s 97th annual Academy Awards, winning five awards.
It bagged awards for Best Picture and Best Actress, with 25-year-old star Mikey Madison earning the latter, and a trio of awards for Sean Baker: Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best Editing.
The 2025 Oscars were historical
This year’s award was a night of firsts: Director and writer of “Anora”, Sean Baker, made history as the first person to win four Academy Awards for a single film.
Paul Tazewell also made history as the first Black man to win an Academy Award for costume design for his breathtaking work on “Wicked.”
“Flow”, the first Latvian film to be nominated for the Oscars, also claimed an Academy Award, winning Best Animated Feature, while Zoë Saldana became the first American of Dominican descent to win an Oscar, for her role in Netflix’s “Emilia Pérez.”
The biggest snubs of the night
With only one winner per category, the awards ceremony inevitably left many contenders in the shadows. The buzz turned to the notable snubs as the curtains closed on this year’s ceremony.
For instance, one of this year’s most competitive categories was the Best Actress category. It was a tight race, with powerhouse Cynthia Erivo on the cusp of EGOT glory and Demi Moore gunning for her first-ever Oscar. However, 25-year-old Mikey Madison took home the award for her mesmerising turn in “Anora”, edging Erivo out of a historic milestone and leaving Moore’s Oscar wait to continue.
Timothée Chalamet’s highly acclaimed performance in “Dune” made him a strong contender for Best Actor, but he ultimately fell short. In a surprising twist, Adrien Brody took home the award for “The Brutalist”, thwarting Chalamet’s bid. His win also preserves his own distinction as the youngest Oscar winner in history – a record that would have been lost had Chalamet won.
Chalamet’s film “A Complete Unknown”, a biopic of Bob Dylan, was also denied a single win, despite being nominated eight times.
Despite the snubs, the impact of this year’s ceremony will linger, sparking conversations and debates which will undoubtedly shape the conversations and trends that define the world of cinema in the months to come.
