97th Academy Awards Recap: Historic Wins and Surprising Snubs

Conan O’Brien hosts a memorable but uneven 97th Academy Awards.

The 97th Academy Awards delivered a night of historic wins, unexpected moments, and a few misfires in pacing and performances. Hosted by Conan O’Brien, the ceremony opened with strong comedic energy, highlighted by Adam Sandler’s surprise appearance and John Lithgow’s participation in O’Brien’s humorous “speech rules” segment.

However, as the night progressed, the humor waned, and the pacing began to drag. Musical performances failed to impress audiences, including those from Wicked and an oddly solemn James Bond-themed In Memoriam tribute.

Despite the uneven flow, the night was a historic one. Flow became the second consecutive international animated feature to win Best Animated Feature, following last year’s victory for The Boy and the Heron. Director Denis Villeneuve’s Dune films have now accumulated eight Oscars across two installments. Meanwhile, Mikey Madison made history as the first actor who has played Ghostface in the Scream franchise to win an Academy Award.

Sean Baker’s Anora was the night’s biggest winner, taking home Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Editing. Baker also joined an elite list of individuals who have won four Oscars in a single night, a distinction previously achieved only by Walt Disney in 1954 and Bong Joon-ho in 2020 for his film “Parasite,” taking home the awards for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best International Feature Film.

While most Best Picture nominees walked away with at least one win, A Complete Unknown and Nickel Boys were the only two films in the category to be completely shut out.

Full List of Winners

Best Picture

Anora

Best Actor

Adrien Brody, The Brutalist

Best Actress

Mikey Madison, Anora

Best Supporting Actor

Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain

Best Supporting Actress

Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez

Best Director

Sean Baker, Anora

Original Screenplay

Sean Baker, Anora

Adapted Screenplay

Peter Straughan, Conclave

Animated Feature

Flow

Documentary Feature

No Other Land

International Feature

I’m Still Here (Brazil)

Editing

Sean Baker, Anora

Cinematography

Lol Crawley, The Brutalist

Original Score

Daniel Blumberg, The Brutalist

Production Design

Wicked

Costume Design

Paul Tazewell, Wicked

Visual Effects

Dune: Part Two

Sound

Dune: Part Two

Makeup and Hairstyling

Pierre-Olivier Persin, Stéphanie Guillon, and Marilyne Scarselli, The Substance

Original Song

“El Mal,” Emilia Pérez

Live-Action Short

I’m Not a Robot

Documentary Short

The Only Girl in the Orchestra

Animated Short

In the Shadow of the Cypress

With major wins, groundbreaking moments, and a few lackluster performances, the 97th Academy Awards was a night to remember for right and wrong reasons. While pacing issues may have dampened the excitement, the historical wins cemented the night’s significance in Oscar history.

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