The 97th Academy Awards were a star-studded celebration of cinematic brilliance, with independent drama Aor sweeping the night. It won major awards, including Best Picture, Best Director (Sean Baker), and Best Actress (Mikey Madison), marking a standout year for indie filmmaking.

In a memorable moment, veteran actor Adrien Brody won Best Actor for his role in The Brutalistwhile Zoe Saldaña and Kieran Culkin took home Best Supporting Actress and Actor for their performances in Emilia Pérez and A Real Painrespectively.

Other significant victories included I’m Still Here (Best International Feature), Flow (Best Animated Feature), and Evil (Best Original Song). The technical categories were dominated by Dune: Part Two and The Brutalistshowcasing the diversity in both artistic and technical excellence at this year’s awards.

Here’s the full list of major winners from the 2025 Oscars:

• Best Picture: Aor
• Best Director: Sean Baker (Aor)
• Best Actor: Adrien Brody (The Brutalist)
• Best Actress: Mikey Madison (Aor)
• Best Supporting Actor: Kieran Culkin (A Real Pain)
• Best Supporting Actress: Zoe Saldaña (Emilia Pérez)
• Best International Feature: I’m Still Here (Brazil)
• Best Animated Feature: Flow
• Best Original Screenplay: Aor (Sean Baker)
• Best Adapted Screenplay: Conclave (Peter Straughan)
• Best Original Song: Evil (Emilia Pérez)
• Best Documentary Feature: No Other Land
• Best Cinematography: The Brutalist
• Best Visual Effects: Dune: Part Two

The night celebrated a range of films, with Aor, The Brutalistand Emilia Pérez leading the way in both artistic storytelling and technical innovation, underscoring the expanding horizons of global cinema.

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