An awards season full of unexpected twists reached its grand finale at the 97th Academy Awards on Sunday night. The biggest winner of the evening was Sean Baker’s Anora, which dominated with five Oscar wins out of its six nominations, including the prestigious Best Picture award.
While many of the night’s outcomes followed predictions—such as Kieran Culkin (A Real Pain) winning Best Supporting Actor, Zoe Saldaña (Emilia Pérez) taking home Best Supporting Actress, and Adrien Brody (The Brutalist) securing Best Actor in a Leading Role—there were also major surprises.
One of the most shocking upsets came when Anora star Mikey Madison won Best Actress in a Leading Role, surpassing favourite Demi Moore, who had been widely expected to win for her performance in The Substance. Coralie Fargeat’s feminist body horror film, which had received five nominations, ended up taking home only one Oscar for Best Makeup and Hairstyling.
Sean Baker’s Record-Breaking Night
Director Sean Baker was a standout presence throughout the evening, stepping onto the stage four times to accept awards for Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Editing, and Best Picture. Best known for his acclaimed 2015 film Tangerine, which focused on transgender sex workers, Baker set a new record for the most Oscars won by a single person for the same film.
Queer Representation at the Oscars
Among the LGBTQ+ nominees, only two took home awards during the ceremony. Costume designer Paul Tazewell won Best Costume Design for Wicked, receiving the award from openly gay actor Bowen Yang, who sported one of Tazewell’s costumes from the film. Tazewell also made history as the first Black man to win the category. Wicked also claimed the Oscar for Best Production Design, with set decorator Lee Sandales acknowledging his husband in his acceptance speech.
The ceremony also featured several queer-leaning moments, thanks largely to Wicked. The film’s stars, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, opened the show with a breathtaking medley, featuring Somewhere Over the Rainbow (The Wizard of Oz), Home (The Wiz), and a powerhouse rendition of Defying Gravity. Later, Queen Latifah continued the evening’s Oz-themed celebration with a performance of Ease on Down the Road in tribute to the late Quincy Jones.
The Controversy Around Emilia Pérez
One of the year’s most debated films, Emilia Pérez, led the nominations with 13 nods. The Spanish-language musical about a transgender former cartel leader sparked discussions about its portrayal of Mexico and trans identities. The film’s lead, Karla Sofía Gascón, made history as the first openly transgender performer nominated for an Oscar, but past racist remarks resurfacing on social media cast a shadow over the film’s awards campaign.
Ultimately, Emilia Pérez won only two awards—Best Supporting Actress for Zoe Saldaña and Best Original Song for El Mal. Interestingly, neither Saldaña nor the song’s composers, Clément Ducol and Camille, made any reference to trans issues in their acceptance speeches.
With an evening full of dazzling performances, historic wins, and unexpected turns, the 97th Academy Awards marked another significant chapter in Hollywood’s ever-evolving recognition of queer talent.
