Sex Worker Drama 'Anora' Sweeps Oscars with 5 Awards including Best Picture

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Anora, the story of a New York sex worker who gets a chance at a new life when she marries a wealthy Russian client on a whim, won five Academy Awards on Sunday 2 March 2025, including the coveted best picture Oscar.

In addition to best picture, Sean Baker won for best director, original screenplay and editing to tie the record for most Oscars won by an individual in one year with Walt Disney who won for four different films in 1954.

The film's 25-year-old star, Mikey Madison, was named best actress.

Anora was made for $6 million, a tiny sum by Hollywood standards. It emerged as the winner in an unpredictable Oscars race that included papal thriller Conclave, Jewish immigrant story The Brutalist and blockbuster musical Wicked.    

"If you're trying to make independent films, please keep doing it. We need more. This is proof," said Baker, a director known for making small films about porn stars, transgender prostitutes and other marginalised people.    

Madison scored an upset over Demi Moore, who had been favoured to win best actress for her role in The Substance.

"I grew up in Los Angeles, but Hollywood always felt so far away from me," Madison said on stage. "To be here standing in this room today is really incredible."

She said she wanted to "thank and honour the sex worker community." She said: "I will continue to be an ally."

Anora, released by independent distributor Neon, has generated $40 million at global box offices. Wicked, by comparison, has hauled in $728 million.

Adrien Brody wins Best Actor

Adrien Brody claimed his second best actor Oscar for his role as a Jewish immigrant and architect who chases the American dream in The Brutalist. The 51-year-old New York City native had previously won for The Pianist, when he became the youngest best actor winner at age 29.

"Acting is a very fragile profession," Brody said. "No matter where you are in your career, it can all go away. I think what makes this most special is the awareness of that." 

Zoe Saldana was named best supporting actress for her role as the fixer for a Mexican drug lord in Emilia Perez, a Spanish-language musical released on Netflix.

The film, which also won best original song for "El Mal", was a favourite for best picture earlier this year. Its chances dwindled when offensive social media posts surfaced from star Karla Sofia Gascon.

The actress, the first openly transgender person nominated for an acting Oscar, disappeared from the awards circuit but attended Sunday's ceremony.

Kieran Culkin received the best supporting actor award for playing one of two cousins who travel to Poland to study their family's roots in A Real Pain.

Culkin thanked his wife and mother of his two children, Jazz Charton, and said he had recently told her he wanted a total of four kids. Culkin said she joked she would agree if he won an Oscar.

"Let's get cracking on those kids!" Culkin said to his wife from the stage.

Winners of the gold Oscar statuettes are chosen by the roughly 11,000 actors, producers, directors and film craftspeople who make up the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Israeli-Palestinian documentary a winner

No Other Land, a film showing Palestinian West Bank resistance to Israeli soldiers tearing down their homes and evicting residents to create a military training ground, won the documentary feature film Oscar on Sunday.

The prize for best animated feature went to independent film Flow, the first film from Latvia to win an Oscar. Brazilian film I'm Still Here received the best international feature award.

Nominees Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo opened the Oscars celebration with a Wizard of Oz-themed medley including the showstopping hit "Defying Gravity" from their film Wicked. 

Grande, Saldana, Selena Gomez and other stars wore shiny and sculptural gowns. Timothee Chalamet chose a canary yellow tuxedo, prompting a jab from the Oscars host, comedian Conan O'Brien.

"You will not get hit on your bike tonight," O'Brien said.

Midway through the show, O'Brien brought a group of Los Angeles firefighters to the stage and thanked them for their work during the January wildfires. He also invited them to deliver a few jokes.

"It's great to be back with Conan," said Pasadena Fire Captain Jodi Slicker. "Usually when he calls, he's stuck in a tree."