Oscars 2025: Winners list, Best Moments & More Local Verandah

The much-anticipated 97th Academy Awards showcased Hollywood’s finest talent and a diverse range of winners, highlighting the Academy’s appreciation for varied genres and storytelling styles. Anora emerged as the biggest winner, bagging five Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director (Sean Baker), Best Actress (Mikey Madison), Best Film Editing, and Best Original Screenplay. Sean Baker won three awards for directing, writing, and editing the film.

Adrien Brody won Best Actor for The Brutalist, while Zoe Saldaña (Emilia Pérez) and Kieran Culkin (A Real Pain) won in the supporting categories. Emilia Pérez, which led with 13 nominations, secured two wins. This year’s event hosted by Conan O’Brien at the Dolby Theatre, had a significant shift in the kind of movies that were appreciated with many unconventional topics having an edgier side to them. In India the ceremony was streaming live on the JioHotstar platform. It was a mixed bag as always with unforgettable moments, surprises and speeches.

The other talents under the spotlight were Adrien Brody, who celebrated a triumphant moment claiming the best actor award for the second time for his powerful and nuanced portrayal in “The Brutalist.”

The movie also secured Best Cinematography and Best Original Score. Zoe Saldaña won the Best Supporting Actress award for her compelling performance in “Emilia Pérez,” capturing hearts and accolades alike for her exceptional range and emotional depth. Meanwhile, Kieran Culkin earned himself the award for Best Supporting Actor for his unforgettable role in “A Real Pain” marking his pace in the line of celebrated actors.

Others following the trend were ‘Flow’, which clinched the prestigious award for Best Animated Feature and made history as Latvia’s first-ever win in this category. The poignant documentary No Other Land was celebrated with the title of Best Documentary Feature, while the powerful narrative of I’m Still Here earned Brazil its inaugural Oscar for Best International Feature Film. In a remarkable achievement, Peter Straughan claimed the award for Best Adapted Screenplay for his compelling work on Conclave.

Paul Tazewell made waves as he became the first Black man to receive the Oscar for Best Costume Design for his breathtaking designs in Wicked, a musical that also dazzled audiences by winning Best Production Design. Dune: Part Two added to its legacy by snagging Oscars for Best Sound and Best Visual Effects, showcasing its stunning artistry. Emilia Pérez made a mark by winning Best Original Song for the enchanting “El Mal.” The award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling was awarded to the creatively rich film The Substance, rounding out a night filled with outstanding accomplishments and unforgettable moments.

Moments to Remember

* Adam Sandler like always was in his comic avatar. He showed up wearing basketball shorts and a hoodie. Conan O’Brien’s addressed him in his opening monologue, “You’re dressed like a guy playing video poker at 2 a.m.” Sandler stormed out listening to this line but was quick to return asking others to join hime a game of 5-on-5 basketball.

This was a year of many firsts like the nations of Latvia and Brazil each picked up their first-ever Oscars for ‘Flow’ an ‘I am Still Here.’
Actor Morgan Freeman delivered a heartfelt tribute to his friend Gene Hackman, a two-time Oscar winner who was found dead at home last week.
People are known to get emotion, deliver long acceptance speeches so this is what Kieran Culkin did he took all the time in this word to thank each and everyone and share a lot from his personal life so much so that he even talked about how he wishes to have four kids with his wife.
It was the first time when featuring original song performances during this year, following the same a tribute was given to the Bond franchise – Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson, who have ran the franchise since the mid-1990s after taking over from their father Albert “Cubby” Broccoli. They were presented with the Irving G Thalberg Memorial Award.

Red Carpet Report
If you are a follower of the Oscars, you must know it is not just about movie but the look stars carry at the red carpet. Here’s are a few head turners from the event: