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Academy Awards, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Oscar

Oscar Winners 2025

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Posted by Larry Gleeson

It was quite a night at the 97th Academy Awards inside the Dolby Theatre at Ovation in Hollywood, California. Indie filmmaker Sean Baker walked away with four Oscars for his latest work, Anora. Meanwhile, his lead actress, Mikey Madison, walked away with an Oscar of her own, Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role, for her portrayal of sex worker Anora. There were many highlights to the evening including a stand up performance by Conan O’Brien as this year’ s host, a magical opening montage, A-list presenters, song and dance routines, a tribute to the late Quincy Jones, and a “wicked” performance from Arianna Grande and Cynthia Erivo. A complete list of Oscar winners is below:

Oscar Winners 2025

Best Picture

  • Anora – WINNER
  • The Brutalist
  • A Complete Unknown
  • Conclave
  • Dune: Part Two
  • Emilia Pérez
  • I’m Still Here
  • Nickel Boys
  • The Substance
  • Wicked

Best Director

  • Sean Baker (Anora) – WINNER
  • Brady Corbet (The Brutalist)
  • James Mangold (A Complete Unknown)
  • Jacques Audiard (Emilia Pérez)
  • Coralie Fargeat (The Substance)

Actor in a Leading Role

  • Adrien Brody (The Brutalist) – WINNER
  • Timothée Chalamet (A Complete Unknown)
  • Colman Domingo (Sing Sing)
  • Ralph Fiennes (Conclave)
  • Sebastian Stan (The Apprentice)

Actress in a Leading Role

  • Cynthia Erivo (Wicked)
  • Karla Sofía Gascón (Emilia Pérez)
  • Mikey Madison (Anora) – WINNER
  • Demi Moore (The Substance)
  • Fernanda Torres (I’m Still Here)

Actor in a Supporting Role

  • Yura Borisov (Anora)
  • Kieran Culkin (A Real Pain) – WINNER
  • Edward Norton (A Complete Unknown)
  • Guy Pearce (The Brutalist)
  • Jeremy Strong (The Apprentice)

Actress in a Supporting Role

  • Monica Barbaro (A Complete Unknown)
  • Ariana Grande (Wicked)
  • Felicity Jones (The Brutalist)
  • Isabella Rossellini (Conclave)
  • Zoe Saldaña (Emilia Pérez) – WINNER

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

  • A Complete Unknown
  • Conclave – WINNER
  • Emilia Pérez
  • Nickel Boys
  • Sing Sing

Writing (Original Screenplay)

  • Anora – WINNER
  • The Brutalist
  • A Real Pain
  • September 5
  • The Substance

Cinematography

  • The Brutalist – WINNER
  • Dune: Part Two
  • Emilia Pérez
  • Maria
  • Nosferatu

Animated Feature Film

  • Flow – WINNER
  • Inside Out 2
  • Memoir Of A Snail
  • Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
  • The Wild Robot

Music (Original Score)

  • The Brutalist – WINNER
  • Conclave
  • Emilia Pérez
  • Wicked
  • The Wild Robot

Music (Original Song)

  • El Mal (Emilia Pérez) – WINNER
  • The Journey (The Six Triple Eight)
  • Like A Bird (Sing Sing)
  • Mi Camino (Emilia Pérez)
  • Never Too Late (Elton John: Never Too Late)

Production Design

  • The Brutalist
  • Conclave
  • Dune: Part Two
  • Nosferatu
  • Wicked – WINNER

Film Editing

  • Anora – WINNER
  • The Brutalist
  • Conclave
  • Emilia Pérez
  • Wicked

Documentary Feature Film

  • Black Box Diaries
  • No Other Land – WINNER
  • Porcelain War
  • Soundtrack To A Coup D’Etat
  • Sugarcane

Documentary Short Film

  • Death By Numbers
  • I Am Ready, Warden
  • Incident
  • Instruments Of A Beating Heart
  • The Only Girl In The Orchestra – WINNER

International Feature Film

  • I’m Still Here (Brazil) – WINNER
  • The Girl With The Needle (Denmark)
  • Emilia Pérez (France)
  • The Seed Of The Sacred Fig (Germany)
  • Flow (Latvia)

Makeup and Hairstyling

  • A Different Man
  • Emilia Pérez
  • Nosferatu
  • The Substance – WINNER
  • Wicked

Visual Effects

  • Alien: Romulus
  • Better Man
  • Dune: Part Two – WINNER
  • Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes
  • Wicked

Costume Design

  • A Complete Unknown
  • Conclave
  • Gladiator II
  • Nosferatu
  • Wicked – WINNER

Animated Short Film

  • Beautiful Men
  • In The Shadow Of The Cypress – WINNER
  • Magic Candies
  • Wander To Wonder
  • Yuck!

Live-Action Short Film

  • A Lien
  • Anuja
  • I’m Not A Robot – WINNER
  • The Last Ranger
  • The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent

Sound

  • A Complete Unknown
  • Dune: Part Two – WINNER
  • Emilia Pérez
  • Wicked
  • The Wild Robot
#TCM, 31 Days of Oscar

Who is Ninotchka? Greta Garbo

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Written and reviewed by Larry Gleeson during the annual TCM 31 Days of Oscar

Ninotchka, is a black and white, 1939 American romantic comedy film made for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer by producer and director Ernst Lubitsch  (The Shop Around the Corner) and starring Greta Garbo (Camille, Grand Hotel) and Melvyn Douglas. Billy Wilder was one of the writers along with Charles Brackett and Walter Reisch. One of the film’s best lines came in the form of a question and answer. When Ninotchka was asked how things were in Russia, her response was, ” Very Good. The last mass trials were a great success. There are going to be fewer but better Russians.”

Lubitsch and Garbo

The film featured a  rare comedic performance by Garbo. It was also the first time I have seen Garbo onscreen. Poster’s advertising the film read “Garbo Laughs.” Garbo received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress for her depiction of the lead character, “Envoy Extraordinary” Nina Ivanovna Yakushov, known simply as Ninotchka.

The film has special relevance as it was the first film to depict a stolid and rigid Stalinist Russia in juxtaposition to the free and open lively Pre-war, Parisian backdrop.  The film itself is much lighter and is regarded as a light satirical romantic comedy. Garbo portrays a stern and cold-hearted Russian woman,  set to Paris to oversee the sale of jewels stolen from the Russian nobility after three Russian comrades muff the sale and are held to task for staying at a luxurious French hotel instead of a cheap one. Not that the film needs it but these three comrades add refreshing comedic relief.

Comrades

While waiting for the sale Ninotchka busies herself visiting and studying the architecture and engineering in Paris. Enter  Count Leon, Melvyn Douglas, a suave and sophisticated Westerner, who is also the retainer of the Russian Duchess , the rightful  owner of the jewels who is refusing to let the jewels go without a fight willing to forego the her jewels if Ninotchka leaves Paris.

Garbo, Douglas, and Claire

But Leon and Ninotchka have chemistry. It is undeniable. Hats off to Douglas and Garbo. Yet Ninotchka represses her attraction as she epitomizes Walter as a representation of Western cultural demise. While Leon pursues  Ninotchka full force and even manages to steal a few kisses with full force. It isn’t until Leon falls off his chair in a humorous moment that causes Ninotchka to laugh hysterically allowing her to open up psychologically. Nevertheless, Ninotchka is a dutiful soldier and returns to Russia. The time the film was made, 1939, Hollywood demanded happy endings and more often than not, Hollywood got its way. And Ninotchka is no exception.

Garbo and Lugosi

Ninotchka was nominated for four Oscars; best Picture, Best Actress in a leading role and two for writing, Original Story and Screenplay. The film was shot at the MGM Studio in Culver City, Calif. A 1960 television movie remake starring  Maria Schell as Ninotchka and Gig Young as Leon Dolga, featured Zsa Zsa Gabor, and an appearance towards the end of the film by Bela Lugosi (Count Dracula)

With a runtime of one hour and fifty minutes, Ninotchka is fun and wholeheartedly entertaining with that sweet and endearing Lubitsch touch. Warmly recommended unless you haven’t seen Greta Garbo onscreen in which case it’s a “must-see!”