Oscars 2025 highlights: ‘Anora’ emerges triumphant in unpredictable awards season, Timothée Chalamet is Hollywood's sweetheart and Conan O'Brien is the host with the most

The Oscars brought a tumultuous 2025 awards season to a close, and Anora emerged victorious.

The ceremony, which ran longer than The Brutalist (with no intermission!), aired tributes to Los Angeles, James Bond and Quincy Jones. First-time host Conan O’Brien earned praise online and in the Dolby Theatre for his clever and timely bits during a show that shone a spotlight on filmmaking over celebrity — though celebrities were certainly present.

Here are the key takeaways from the ceremony.

We finally got to see the results of a bizarre campaign season

It’s not normal for an awards season to have this many shake-ups. Shutouts at the Golden Globes and the SAG Awards called Anora’s dominance into question, but it came back in full force, just as the Yahoo Best Picture Leaderboard predicted.

The film’s writer, director, editor and producer, Sean Baker, took home four trophies, tying Walt Disney’s record for most wins in a single night and becoming the first to win four awards for a single film — a huge victory for a scrappy independent filmmaker known for shooting films on iPhones and in secret in the backs of restaurants. Mikey Madison, the lead actress he recruited after seeing her supporting performance in a horror film, somewhat unexpectedly won Best Actress and brought the film’s total to five wins.

Though Emilia Peréz received the most nominations with 13, it only won two Oscars — Best Supporting Actress for Zoe Salda?a and Best Original Song for “El Mal.” Its villain status and controversial resurfaced posts from star Karla Sofía Gascón likely contributed to its demise in expected categories. It lost Best International Film to I’m Still Here.

Timothée Chalamet and Adrien Brody’s Best Actor campaigns both took oddly different turns, with Chalamet embracing whimsy and ambition and Brody indulging in heartfelt speeches and sexy photoshoots. Ultimately, Brody came out on top.

Some of the stars who shone the brightest weren’t necessarily winners

One of the Oscars’ biggest winners didn’t get a trophy. Conan O’Brien, a first-time Oscars host, was celebrated online for his clever quips, from a dig at Gascón’s publicist to a Drake callout.

Frequently at the receiving end of jokes, including comparisons to a stick of butter and a bit by Adam Sandler, was Chalamet. His sense of humor (and ability to handle teasing) was frequently on display. He didn’t need to win Best Actor to emerge beloved and respected.

Though the sandworm from Dune: Part Two may arguably have been honored through Best Sound and Best Visual Effects wins, a person wearing a worm costume stole the show on multiple occasions.

Hollywood’s biggest night honored the heart of filmmaking

To pay tribute to Los Angeles in the wake of devastating wildfires that disrupted much of awards season, the Oscars embraced the beauty of filmmaking. The ceremony televised craft awards that are sometimes overlooked, and the academy awarded many independent film projects like Anora, The Brutalist and No Other Land.

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande performing a medley of heartfelt songs, including “Defying Gravity” from Wicked, set the bar high to start the show. It followed a brief montage of clips from movies that referenced Los Angeles and the magic of Hollywood, including The Wizard of Oz.

The ceremony frequently jabbed the domination of tech companies and streaming services in the entertainment industry. Baker did so in one of his acceptance speeches, but he’s been on that path since he won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival back in May. Some think that a lengthy tribute to James Bond, involving performances from Margaret Qualley, Lisa and Doja Cat, might have been a plea to Amazon MGM to respect its new ownership of the franchise.

Morgan Freeman delivered a heartfelt speech at the beginning of the in memoriam segment, paying tribute to his friend Gene Hackman, a two-time Oscar winner who died last week, for more than just his accolades.

"Gene always said, 'I don't think about legacy. I just hope people remember me as someone who tried to do good work,'" Freeman continued. "So I think I speak for us all when I say: Gene, you'll be remembered for that and for so much more."