Oscars 2025 recap: Highlights and biggest moments from 97th Academy Awards

ByKimberlee Sakamoto, Hayley FitzPatrick, Carson Blackwelder, Angeline Jane Bernabe, and Mason Leib OTRC logo
Last updated: Monday, March 3, 2025 5:20AM GMT
2025 Oscars
Joelle Garguilo recaps the Oscars, highlighting some of the big moments.

LOS ANGELES -- The 2025 Oscars honored the best in cinema from the past year Sunday night.

The 97th Academy Awards, hosted by Conan O'Brien, ended with "Anora" taking home the coveted trophy for best picture.

"Anora" was the top film of the night, taking home five Oscars including best director for Sean Baker.

The top acting prizes went to Adrien Brody, who won best actor for "The Brutalist," and Mikey Madison, who won best actress for "Anora." Winning in the supporting categories were "Emilia Pérez" star Zoe Saldaña and "A Real Pain" star Kieran Culkin.

Heading into the ceremony, "Emilia Pérez" led the field of nominees with 13 total Oscar nominations. It ended the night with two trophies.

This year's show honored the city of Los Angeles in the wake of the wildfires that left at least 29 dead and destroyed thousands of homes earlier this year, bringing firefighters onto the Oscars stage and hosting a charitable component to raise money for fire victims.

The Oscars ceremony aired live on ABC and streamed live on Hulu for the first time.

Scroll down for a recap of the Oscars and check out all coverage of the 97th Academy Awards here.


OTRC logo
Mar 03, 2025, 12:32 AM

Full list of winners from the 97th Academy Awards

Go here for a look at the full winners list.

OTRC logo
Mar 03, 2025, 4:35 AM

PHOTOS: 2025 Oscars parties highlights

Take a look at the photo gallery below for the glitz and glamour of the Oscars viewing and after parties with exclusive photos capturing Hollywood's elite celebrating the night in style.

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Cynthia Erivo attends the 2025 Vanity Fair Oscar Party Hosted By Radhika Jones at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts.
Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for Vanity Fair
OTRC logo
Mar 02, 2025, 10:05 PM GMT

Jeff Goldblum teases what's next for 'Wicked' on Oscars red carpet

Jeff Goldblum, in a red carpet interview with Whit Johnson on the Oscars red carpet, teased what's to come in "Wicked: For Good," the sequel to the Oscar-nominated film, "Wicked."

Jeff Goldblum teases what's next for 'Wicked' during an interview with Whit Johnson on the Oscars red carpet.

"Wicked" stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande are nominated for Actress in a Leading Role and Actress in a Supporting Role, respectively.

And the film is up for Best Picture.

GMA logo
Mar 02, 2025, 10:01 PM GMT

Oscars host Conan O'Brien shares his pre-show ritual

Ahead of the Oscars, host Conan O'Brien shared a funny photo of his "pre-show ritual" on X, which included a pipe and a guitar.

"Preshow ritual," he captioned the photo, which showed him holding the guitar, with the pipe in his mouth. "I'm hosting the #Oscars tonight on @ABC and @hulu. See you there!"

GMA logo
Mar 02, 2025, 9:53 PM GMT

'Wicked' co-stars pose on the Oscars red carpet

"Wicked" co-stars Ethan Slater and Bowen Yang posed for photos together on the 2025 Oscars red carpet Sunday night.

Slater plays Boq and Yang plays Pfannee in the film.

Ethan Slater and Bowen Yang attend the 97th Annual Oscars, Mar. 2, 2025 in Los Angeles.
Ethan Slater and Bowen Yang attend the 97th Annual Oscars, Mar. 2, 2025 in Los Angeles.

While neither actor is nominated tonight, "Wicked" is up for 10 Academy Awards, including best picture.

Cynthia Erivo (Elphaba) is up for best actress, Ariana Grande (Glinda) is up for best supporting actress, and the film also raked in several technical nods.

OTRC logo
Mar 02, 2025, 9:44 PM GMT

Red carpet photos: See all the celebrity fashion, looks and trends

Take a look at the photo gallery below for a look at Hollywood's biggest stars as they hit the red carpet in style.

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Mikey Madison arrives at the Oscars on Sunday, March 2, 2025, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP