Oscars 2025 recap: Biggest moments from the 97th Academy Awards

The 97th Academy Awards took place Sunday night.

ByHayley FitzPatrick, Carson Blackwelder, Angeline Jane Bernabe, and Mason Leib via GMA logo
Last Updated: March 2, 2025, 11:05 PM EST

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 2025 Oscars.

Key moments:

Here's how the night unfolded. All times Eastern.
Mar 02, 2025, 4:56 PM EST

Who is up for best actress at the Oscars?

The best actress nominees at the 2025 Oscars include Cynthia Erivo ("Wicked"), Karla Sofía Gascón ("Emilia Pérez"), Mikey Madison ("Anora"), Demi Moore ("The Substance") and Fernanda Torres ("I'm Still Here").

A look at the best actress race for the 2025 Oscars.
ABC News, Universal, Metropolitan Films, Sony Pictures, Netflix, Universal pictures

Erivo is the only previous Oscar nominee, with the others earning their first Oscar nominations this year.

Read more about this year's best actress race here.

Mar 02, 2025, 4:56 PM EST

Who is up for best actor at the Oscars?

Nominees for the best actor category at the 2025 Oscars include Adrien Brody ("The Brutalist"), Timothée Chalamet ("A Complete Unknown"), Colman Domingo ("Sing Sing"), Sebastian Stan ("The Apprentice") and Ralph Fiennes ("Conclave").

A look at the best actor race for the 2025 Oscars.
A24, Focus Features, Briarcliff Entertainment, Searchlight Pictures

Brody is the only previous Oscar winner and Stan is the only first-time Oscar nominee in the category.

Read more about this year's best actor nominees here.

Mar 02, 2025, 4:38 PM EST

'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.
Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images

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.

Mar 02, 2025, 4:27 PM EST

Fashion expert Joe Zee shares red carpet predictions

Ahead of the Oscars, fashion expert Joe Zee shared his thoughts on who will bring their fashion A-game tonight on the red carpet.

See his full video below and make sure to check back for more Oscars fashion moments.

Related Topics

Sponsored Content by Taboola