LOS ANGELES – The 97th Academy Awards made history Sunday night as Anora, a small-budget indie film about love, identity, and survival, won Best Picture and four other key categories.
The film’s director Sean Baker walked away with Oscars for Direction, Screenplay, and Editing, while lead actress Mikey Madison earned her first Academy Award in what many are calling a career-launching performance.
“Anora wasn’t designed to win awards—it was made to tell a human story,” said Baker. “That it resonated globally is a testament to the power of truth in cinema.”
Other major wins included Adrien Brody’s Best Actor for The Brutalist, and A Real Pain star Kieran Culkin’s Supporting Actor win. Meanwhile, sci-fi hit Dune: Part Two and musical Wicked both picked up two awards each.
Hosted by Conan O’Brien, the ceremony balanced humor with emotion, and the resounding message was clear: audiences and critics alike are ready to embrace stories that come from the margins and speak from the heart.
