Hollywood’s biggest night is over, with “Anora” claiming the coveted Oscar for best picture.
Replay the 97th Academy Awards as it happened with updates from CTV News film critic Richard Crouse and The Associated Press.
11:07 p.m. EST: ‘Anora’ wins best picture
“Anora,” a strip club Cinderalla story without the fairy tale ending, was crowned best picture at the 97th Academy Awards on Sunday, handing Sean Baker’s gritty, Brooklyn-set screwball farce Hollywood’s top prize.
In a stubbornly fluctuating Oscar season, “Anora,” the Palme d’Or-winner at the Cannes Film Festival, emerged as the unlikely frontrunner. Baker’s tale of an erotic dancer who elopes with the son of a Russian oligarch -- unusually explicit for a best-picture winner -- was made for just US$6 million.
The Associated Press
11:07 p.m. EST: Mikey Madison wins best actress
Mikey Madison won the best actress Oscar on Sunday for “Anora,” a role that catapulted the 25-year-old into a burgeoning film career after achieving initial success on television.
The Brooklyn-set comedy-drama had received six nominations.
The Associated Press
10:47 p.m. EST: ‘Anora’ wins best picture
“Anora’s” big wins tonight made the Oscars seem more like the independent spirit awards… And that’s a good thing!
Film critic Richard Crouse
10:42 p.m. EST: Mikey Madison wins best actress
I predicted Demi Moore would take best actress and I have never been more happy to be wrong. Demi is great, and has done well in award season, but my “should win” pick was always Mikey Madison.
Film critic Richard Crouse
10:38 p.m. EST: Are you still watching?
This show has gone on so long a message popped up on our television asking if we were still watching. Never seen that before!
Film critic Richard Crouse
10:36 p.m. EST: Sean Baker wins best director Oscar for `Anora'
Sean Baker won best director at the Oscars on Sunday for “Anora,” bookending a dominant awards season for the American filmmaker whose stories seek to humanize sex workers and immigrants.
Baker, 53, wrote, produced, directed and edited the film, which is also among the top contenders for best picture. The comedy-drama stars Mikey Madison as a Brooklyn exotic dancer who marries the impetuous son of a Russian oligarch. They impulsively tie the knot on a ketamine-induced Las Vegas getaway, angering his parents, who send their bumbling henchmen after the couple to force an annulment.
“If you didn’t cast Mikey Madison in `Once Upon a Time,' there would be no `Anora,”' Baker told Quentin Tarantino, who presented the award.
The Associated Press
10:28 p.m. EST: A surprise in a night without many
Wow. Adrien Brody taking best actor is a surprise in a night without many surprises. He took home the Golden Globe, but since then the cards seem to have tipped in Timothée Chalamet’s favour.
Film critic Richard Crouse
10:26 p.m. EST: Adrien Brody wins best actor
Adrien Brody clinched his second Oscar for best actor, winning Sunday for his role as a visionary Hungarian architect in " The Brutalist " and solidifying his legacy as one of Hollywood’s most compelling talents.
Brody took home best actor at the 97th Academy Awards for his powerful portrayal of Lazlo Toth, who escapes the Holocaust and sails to the United States to find his American Dream. The film spans 30 years in the life of Toth, a fictional character whose unorthodox designs challenged societal norms, and his relentless pursuit of artistic integrity.
The Associated Press
10:23 p.m. EST: 200-minute mark
The best line of the night from Conan O’Brien.
“If you’re still enjoying the show, you have something called Stockholm Syndrome,” he said as the show approached its 200th minute.
Film critic Richard Crouse
10:20 p.m. EST: The Oscars pay tribute to Quincy Jones
In some ways, it was teased from the very beginning of the award show, when Cynthia Erivo nailed “Home” from “The Wiz” in the opening performance. Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah introduced a joyful tribute to the late producer Quincy Jones featuring 32 dancers, the Los Angeles Master Chorale, and Academy Award nominee Queen Latifah doing “Ease on Down the Road” also from “The Wiz.”
Jones supervised the adaptation of songs from the Broadway musical for the 1978 film starring Michael Jackson. Jones and Jackson met while working on the film, leading to one of the greatest musician-producer partnerships of all time.
10:07 p.m. EST: Best foreign film
“I’m Still Here” winning best foreign film is well deserved. It’s a great movie that kind of got lost in the award conversation after winning a Golden Globe.
Film critic Richard Crouse
10:07 p.m. EST: `I’m Still Here' from Brazil wins Oscar
“I’m Still Here,” a Brazilian film about a family torn apart by the military dictatorship that ruled Brazil for more than two decades, won the Oscar on Sunday for best international film.
The Walter Salles film stars Fernanda Torres as Eunice Paiva, the wife of Rubens Paiva, a former leftist Brazilian congressman who, at the height of the country’s military dictatorship in 1971, was taken from his family’s Rio de Janeiro home and never returned.
The Associated Press
9:49 p.m. EST: Morgan Freeman praises Gene Hackman
Morgan Freeman gave tribute to two-time Oscar winner Gene Hackman, four days after Hackman was found dead. “This week our community lost a giant, and I lost a dear friend, Gene Hackman,” he said.”
He received two Oscars and more importantly he won the hearts of film lovers all over the world.
“Freeman and Hackman co-starred in the 1992 Clint Eastwood Western “Unforgiven” -- the movie that earned Hackman his second Oscar. They were also both in 2000’s “Under Suspicion.”
“Rest in peace, my friend,” Freeman said.
The Associated Press
9:49 p.m. EST: L.A. firefighters receive standing ovation
Firefighters who battled the Palisades and Eaton wildfires received a rousing standing ovation, complete with whistles and roars.
“I don’t know why I did this -- I just a second ago nodded and said `thank you,‘” host Conan O’Brien joked after the audience quieted down.
They were also honoured onstage at the Grammys, in addition to being called out at every major award show this year. O’Brien made them read some jokes he’d rather not make himself.
The Associated Press
9:32 p.m. EST: Cut off too soon?
When there are two or more winners on stage they should be given a bit more time for their speeches. The show is king already, but imagine winning, potentially a once in a lifetime event, and not being able to speak.
It was especially ironic that it happened to the winners of the best sound category.
Film critic Richard Crouse
9:25 p.m. EST: `No Other Land' wins Oscar
“No Other Land,” the story of Palestinian activists fighting to protect their communities from demolition by the Israeli military, won the Oscar for best documentary on Sunday.
The collaboration between Israeli and Palestinian filmmakers follows activist Basel Adra as he risks arrest to document the destruction of his hometown, which Israeli soldiers are tearing down to use as a military training zone, at the southern edge of the West Bank. Adra’s pleas fall on deaf ears until he befriends a Jewish Israeli journalist who helps him amplify his story.
“About two months ago, I became a father, and my hope to my daughter that she will not have to live the same life I’m living now, always fearing settlers, violence, home demolitions and forcible displacements,” said Adra as he received his award Sunday night.
The Associated Press
9:10 p.m. EST: Mick Jagger’s appearance
I thought having Mick Jagger present best song was a tip to classic rock. In other words, I thought Elton John would take it.
Instead, in a rare surprise, it went to “El Mal” from “Emilia Perez.”
9:10 p.m. EST: ‘El Mal’ wins Oscar for best original song
“El Mal” from “Emilia Perez,” by Clement Ducol, Camille and Jacques Audiard has won the Oscar for best original song.
The Associated Press
8:48 p.m. EST: Zoe Saldana wins first Oscar
Zoe Saldana earned her first Academy Award for best supporting actress in “Emilia Perez,” capping an already accomplished awards season Sunday.
The win adds to a collection of successes for the star on the awards circuit: Saldana won her first Golden Globe in January, and notched wins at the British Academy Film Awards, the Critics Choice Awards and Screen Actors Guild Awards.
The Associated Press
8:39 p.m. EST: James Bond gets a musical tribute
The Oscars launched into a four-part tribute to James Bond, opening with “The Substance” actor Margaret Qualley and dancers, followed by Blackpink’s LISA serenade of “Live and Let Die,” Doja Cat with “Diamonds Are Forever” and RAYE with “Skyfall.”
The tribute comes on the heels of a shakeup that stirred the film industry: The longtime custodians of the James Bond movies handed over creative control to Amazon MGM in late February. Amazon bought MGM Studios in 2022 for US$6.1 billion, a purchase that was significantly motivated by the acquisition of one of the movies' most beloved and long-running franchises.
The Associated Press
8:33 p.m. EST: James Bond tribute a miss
In tomorrow’s postmortem when the producers try and figure out why the show went long, which it most certainly will, they’ll have no one to blame except themselves and the endless James Bond tribute.
The tribute is the show’s first real roadblock.
Film critic Richard Crouse
8:25 p.m. EST: The effortless June Squibb
Actress June Squibb is so effortless, charming and funny I hope she co-hosts with Conan next year.
Film critic Richard Crouse
8:23 p.m. EST: `Conclave' wins Oscar for best adapted screenplay
The papal intrigue film was written by British author-playwright Peter Straughan, based on the 2016 novel of the same name by British novelist Robert Harris.
Both Straughan and Harris are veterans of the thriller genre. Straughan’s other screenplay credits include “The Snowman” and an adaptation of John le Carre`s “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.”
Harris' works -- many of them source material for movies -- include the World War II novels “Fatherland” and “Enigma” and the Russia-based thriller “Archangel.” He is also known, and somewhat notorious for his 2007 novel, “The Ghost,” a fictionalized critique of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Harris and director Roman Polanski co-wrote a well-regarded adaptation, “The Ghost Writer.”
The Associated Press
8:11 p.m. EST: Best original screenplay
Great to see Sean Baker and “Anora” take best original screenplay.
It’s my absolute favourite movie if 2024, so I hope this is the beginning of a trend for the rest of the show!
Film critic Richard Crouse
`Anora' wins Oscar for best original screenplay
Sean Baker’s Brooklyn comedy “Anora” has won an Oscar for best original screenplay. The film had been widely considered a contender for best picture at the Academy Awards, alongside other categories including best actress for its lauded young star.
The Associated Press
8:09 p.m. EST: No surprises yet
First hour down and lots of nice moments but no big surprises. Hope they shake things up soon!
Film critic Richard Crouse
8:06 p.m. EST: Attendees get a personal message from Conan
Under each seat in the theatre is a box containing water, a soft pretzel, mustard, Sno-Caps chocolate candy and a note from host Conan O’Brien that reads “Dear Star/Seat Filler - I hope you enjoy these complimentary snacks. I tried my best to include a gummy but Disney said that was a `hard pass.' Have a great night, Conan.”
The Associated Press
7:56 p.m. EST: Best animated short film
Iranian filmmakers Shirin Sohani and Hossein Molayemi won their first Academy Award for “In the Shadow of the Cypress.”
It was the second Iranian animated or live-action short film nominated at the Oscars and the first to win.
Animation is often thought of as childlike, fun and creative in nature, but it can also elicit deep emotion: “In the Shadow of the Cypress” takes a creative and artistic approach to the relationship between a father, an old former captain who is dealing with PTSD, and his daughter. The short also won best animated short at the Los Angeles Shorts International Film Festival.
The Associated Press
7:31 p.m. EST: Karla Sofia Gascon showed up
Karla Sofia Gascon, the Oscar-nominated trans actor and star of the movie “Emilia Perez,” is in the audience at the Oscars. Host Conan O’Brien called her out, making a crack about the star’s controversial tweets.
He told Gascon that if she tweets about Sunday’s show, his name is “Jimmy Kimmel” -- a nod to another late-night host.
The Associated Press
7:30 p.m. EST: Kieran Culkin wins Best Supporting Actor
Non-surprise numbers one and two! Kieran Culkin wins for best supporting actor and delivers a sweary, funny speech!
Film critic Richard Crouse
Kieran Culkin completes his sweep: AP
Kieran Culkin won the Oscar for best supporting actor Sunday at the 97th Academy Awards, completing a sweep of the category that followed his dominance in television awards last season.
The award, for portraying the chaotic but endearing Benji in Jesse Eisenberg’s “A Real Pain,” marked his first win and nomination.
The Associated Press
7:25 p.m. EST: Best opening monologue in years, critic says
The show started off strong with a tribute to Hollywood as the Dream Factory before acknowledging the grim reality of the recent wildfires. Nicely done.
Conan O’Brien’s opening monologue was the best in years: “It’s Hollywood’s biggest night that starts at 4 in the afternoon!”
He poked fun and didn’t get slapped!
Film critic Richard Crouse
7:15 p.m. EST: A “Wicked”-ly fun opening
The 2025 Oscars opened with its biggest musical voices. “Wicked” star Ariana Grande launched into “The Wizard of Oz” classic “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” following a visual package celebrating the city of Los Angeles.
She ditched her usual Glinda pink for a ruby red gown, channeling Dorothy’s iconic shoes. She was followed by Elphaba herself, Cynthia Erivo, nailing “Home” from the “The Wiz.” (The late Quincy Jones supervised the adaptation of songs from the Broadway musical for the 1978 film starring Michael Jackson.) Then Grande and Erivo teamed up for a dynamic duet of “Defying Gravity.” And yes, they hit the note.
The Associated Press
7:15 p.m. EST: Conan O’Brien gets Oscars off to a snarky start
Host Conan O’Brien got the show and his monologue off to a start filled with his usual sarcastic humor.
O’Brien poked fun at the Oscars, Hollywood’s biggest night “which starts at 4 in the afternoon.” He also poked fun at himself. “I know what you’re thinking: `Did Conan not have work done? Seriously. He looks his age.”' And he jabbed at Netflix for having price increases.
He also implored the Oscar audience to sit down -- after not getting a standing ovation.
The Associated Press
7:12 p.m. EST: How does Oscar voting work?
There are about 10,500 global members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Some are actors, some directors, some editors, some costume designers, some hair and makeup people ... you get the idea.
In 22 of the 23 categories, it’s a simple system: The nominee with the most votes wins. Easy. Voting is done online, ballots are not released publicly and only two partners at PricewaterhouseCoopers know the winners before they are revealed to the world.
Looking for red carpet highlights? Red carpet wrap
For best picture, the system is different: enter ranked choice voting. Voters rank the nominees in order and the film getting 50% or more of the vote is the winner.
Here’s where it gets confusing, so we’ll let the academy explain it in its own words: “If one movie doesn’t get 50% out of the gate, the one with the fewest votes is eliminated, and the members who voted for that as their top choice have their votes added to the film that was next on their list.
“What happens if their second choice was the one that was eliminated? Well, their votes then go to their third choice, and so on. That process continues until one movie gets 50% or more of all the votes.”
The Associated Press
7:09 p.m. EST: Demi Moore stops for a Ghost reunion
Demi Moore was making a beeline through the red carpet, waving to fans but also walking with purpose.
The one person she stopped for? Her “Ghost” costar Whoopi Goldberg.
The two clasped hands and chatted for a few moments before Moore continued on.
The Associated Press
6:47 p.m. EST: Remembering the great David Lynch
Isabella Rossellini and Laura Dern posed together on the Oscar red carpet, which surely made people think of the late David Lynch.
The two costarred in Lynch’s 1986 film “Blue Velvet.” Rossellini was Lynch’s longtime partner and Dern a frequent star in the director’s work. After he died in mid-January, Dern wrote a letter to him that was published in the Los Angeles Times while the city was dealing with a wildfire crisis.
“I know you were worried for everyone’s heartbreak and loss, and yet still, like your films, while horror is happening, you always believed in the light and the goodness in people and held hope for our city and all those who live here,” Dern wrote to Lynch in that letter.
Lynch received an honorary award at the Oscars five years ago. He was a three-time best director nominee.
The Associated Press
6:30 p.m. EST: Guy Pearce wears ‘Free Palestine’ pin
“The Brutalist” actor Guy Pearce showed up wearing a “FREE PALESTINE” pin featuring a white dove and a gold branch. The award show comes as Israel stopped the entry of all food and other supplies into Gaza on Sunday.
Pearce, who has expressed his support throughout the awards season with various pins, said “It’s the least we can do.”
“I’m just always on the case of trying to recognize Palestine and it having as much support as it possibly can because it’s what it absolutely needs.”
The Associated Press
