Oscar highlights 2025: ‘Anora’ wins big; Adrien Brody, Mikey Madison bag Best Actor awards

Oscars 2025 was a blend of fashion, humour and bold statements; from key winners to banters and socio-political stands, here are some highlights from the starry night. 

With glitz, glamour, and grandeur galore, The 97th Academy Awards were announced at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles today. Considered Hollywood’s biggest night of the year, the event featured some of the biggest names from industries all across the globe. The award show was marked by mesmerizing performances, hilarious sets, and heartfelt tributes to artists. The ceremony, just like any other celebrity event has set social media abuzz. 

Check out the biggest talking points from Oscars 2025 here!

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo’s magical performance

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, stars of Wicked and nominees opened the event with their amazing performance. It was a tribute to Hollywood’s magic and the timeless Wizard of Oz story that inspired the film Wicked. The performance was so emotional that it moved the audience to tears. 

Conan O’Brien’s shoutout to the Indian audience in Hindi

Conan O’Brien, the late-night veteran who made his Oscars hosting debut, set the tone for the event with his wit, humour, and charm. However, what took the Indian viewers by surprise was O’Brien’s gesture of greeting them in Hindi, “Logo ko namaskar. Waha subha ho chuki hai to mujhe ummeed hai ki aap crispy nashte ke sath Oscars dekhenge,” he said, which translates to “Greetings to the people of India. It’s morning there, so I hope you enjoy your breakfast while watching the Oscars.”

Adam Sandler’s casual look

Adam Sandler was seen attending the event with a bright blue hoodie and basketball shorts. The banter has now become a major point of discussion with netizens coming up with various interpretations of the exchange, with some calling it a spoof of the recent controversy between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, where the latter showed up to the official meet in casuals. When the host cheekily enquired Sandler about his outfit, his quick comeback - “I like the way I look because I’m a good person” elicited applause from the audience.

Heading into the event, Emilia Pérez led the nominations with a total of 13 mentions in various categories and ended the night with two trophies. Anora emerged as the biggest winner of the event, bagging five Oscars including Best Director for Sean Baker. Baker was competing with Brady Corbet for The Brutalist, James Mangold for A Complete Unknown, Jacques Audiard for Emilia Pérez, and Coralie Fargeat for The Substance.

The top acting honors were conferred upon Adrien Brody, who was named Best Actor for The Brutalist, and Mikey Madison, won Best Actress for Anora. Winning the coveted trophy in supporting categories were Emilia Pérez star Zoe Saldaña and A Real Pain star Kieran Culkin. Brazil’s I'm Still Here won the Oscar for Best International Feature Film. While, I'm Not a Robot took home the trophy for Best Live Action Short Film; the film beat Priyanka Chopra's co-produced movie Anuja.

Best Documentary Feature Film award was conferred upon No Other Land, while Best Documentary Short Film was given to The Only Girl In The Orchestra.

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The event this year also honored the city of Los Angeles in the wake of the wildfires that destroyed thousands of homes, earlier this year. Firefighters were invited to the Oscars stage and a charitable component to raise money for fire victims was hosted.

Kill Bill fame actress Daryl Hannah showed support for war-torn Ukraine while presenting an award in the Film Editing category. She started her presentation by saying "Slava Ukraini," a rallying cry that translates to "Glory to Ukraine. The 64-year-old received applause for her gesture which comes just days after President Donald Trump's heated exchange with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy. 

Another highlight from the starry affair was the James Bond musical tribute, which honored the celebrated film franchise's producers, Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli. The trio performed their renditions of various theme songs from the Bond film series. Lisa from the popular K-pop group Blackpink opted for an outfit by Indian designer Rahul Mishra for her musical tribute. The rapper also created history by becoming the first K-pop idol to take the Oscars centerstage for a performance.

What are your thoughts on this year’s event? Tell us in the comments below! 

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