Oscars 2025 key moments: Mikey Madison upsets with Best Actress win and a singing speech for Best Original Song

The 2025 Academy Awards ceremony, as the grand finale of the awards season, was a spectacle filled with highlights. Surprise wins, lengthy acceptance speeches, stunning performances, and numerous political statements all contributed to the three-hour extravaganza. The ceremony provided a comprehensive overview of the year's cinematic achievements, sparking both celebration and critical reflection.

Mickey Madison's unexpected win for Best Actress in "Anora" surprised many viewers. Demi Moore, for her role in "The Substance," was widely considered the frontrunner. Madison said on stage, "I grew up in Los Angeles, but Hollywood always seemed so far away. To be standing here today is truly unbelievable." She also stated that she wanted to "thank and honor sex workers" and pledged to "continue to be their ally." This victory highlighted the Academy's evolving recognition of diverse talent and narratives.

"Anora" also won Best Picture, concluding the unexpected turn of events in the Oscar race. "The Papal Election" and "The Barbarian" were initially considered the frontrunners for Best Picture. The opening performance was presented by Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, the two stars of "Wicked," who performed a medley of songs from the "Wizard of Oz" universe. Grande, wearing a shimmering red gown, opened the performance with "Over the Rainbow" against a backdrop of rainbow lights. Erivo then appeared from the right side of the stage, singing a heartfelt rendition of Diana Ross's "Home" from the 1978 musical "The Wiz." Finally, the two singers sang a duet of "Defying Gravity," with sincere and moving emotion, earning a standing ovation from the audience. As production on the second "Wicked" film has been completed, this may be the last time the two will perform this iconic song together. Before the song, a montage of films shot in Los Angeles, such as "La La Land," was played to pay tribute to the city, which suffered wildfires earlier this year. Throughout the performance, the two sang in front of a cityscape backdrop.

Sean Baker broke an Oscar record with "Anora," becoming the person with the most individual awards for a single film. Baker, serving as director, writer, and editor, won Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Editing, and Best Picture. In 1953, Walt Disney also won four Oscars, but that was for four different films. During Baker's third acceptance speech of the night, he encouraged people to continue going to movie theaters to support the film industry. After winning Best Picture, Baker thanked the Academy for recognizing the "truly independent film" that cost $6 million (A$9.64 million). Zoe Saldana also won Best Supporting Actress, becoming the first actress of Dominican descent to win the award. She stated, "I am proud to be the child of immigrant parents with dreams, dignity, and hard-working hands. I am the first American Dominican to win an Oscar, and I know I won't be the last. I am honored to win for a role where I can sing and speak in Spanish." Paul Tazewell became the first Black man to win the Best Costume Design award. Additionally, the Latvian film "Flow" won Best Animated Feature, earning the small European nation its first Oscar.

Adrien Brody won Best Actor and gave an enthusiastic but somewhat lengthy acceptance speech. The actor had a long list of people to thank and was determined to mention them all. He spent most of his time talking about having "the privilege of perspective." "Acting is a very vulnerable profession. It looks glamorous, and at moments it is, but the biggest takeaway I've had is the privilege of being here again and having some perspective," he said. When the orchestra began playing music to signal him to wrap up, he asked them to stop, saying he would finish soon. "I'm almost done, please, please, please, I'll be done. Please turn the music off. I've done this before. This isn't my first time. Thank you." He then continued, "I pray for a healthier, happier, more inclusive world, and I believe if the past can teach us anything, it's a reminder: don't let hate go unchecked." He was interrupted again by the music and hastily concluded, saying, "Okay, I'm going."

Iranian filmmakers Hossein Moradnejad and Shirin Sohani won an Oscar for their animated short film, "Shadows of the Cypress," but they almost missed the ceremony. In their acceptance speech, they stated that they only arrived in Los Angeles three hours before the ceremony began because it was difficult to obtain US visas. "It is a miracle, and it is very difficult for us to speak in front of this expectant audience," Moradnejad said. "Yes, miracles happen if we persist and stay true." The film tells the story of a captain living a secluded life with his daughter by the sea while struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder. In the weeks leading up to the ceremony, Variety reported that the filmmakers also saw promised government assistance canceled, which limited their options for international travel. Moradnejad told Variety that they had always faced great difficulty traveling abroad, but the situation had worsened since Donald Trump returned to the White House.

French composer duo Clément Ducol and Camille won the Best Original Song award for their song "El Mal" from "Emilia Pérez." "We are very grateful," Camille said in her acceptance speech. "We created 'El Mal' to denounce corruption, and we hope it illustrates what music and art can and will continue to do, as a force for good and progress in the world." Camille and Ducol are a couple, and they harmoniously repeated "Emilia Pérez" repeatedly at the end of their speech. The camera panned across the crowd to some audience members who looked somewhat confused, applauding, or laughing.

Following other awards ceremonies this season, the Oscars also included a segment paying tribute to the firefighters who extinguished the Los Angeles wildfires. Host and comedian Conan O'Brien invited numerous members of the Los Angeles and Pasadena fire departments to the stage. "Please welcome the firefighters who bravely responded to and extinguished the Palisades and Eaton wildfires. On behalf of everyone in the greater Los Angeles area, thank you for everything you do," O'Brien said. "Now I know you'll find this hard to believe, but there are some jokes even I won't tell. So, on behalf of myself, please read what's on the teleprompter. Remember, everyone here has to laugh. They're heroes!" Los Angeles Fire Department Captain Erik Scott read the first joke, aimed at the box office flop "Joker: Folie à Deux." "We extend our condolences to all those who lost their homes," he said. "I'm referring to the producers of 'Joker 2.'" Pasadena Fire Department Captain Jody Slyke said, "It's great to be working with Conan again. Usually when he calls, he's stuck in a tree."

A film showcasing the alliance built between a Palestinian activist and an Israeli journalist amid the conflict in the occupied West Bank won the Oscar for Best Documentary. Palestinian Basel Adra and journalist Yuval Abraham accepted the award for "No Other Land" at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. The film shows Adra resisting the displacement of his people by Israeli forces in the West Bank community of Masafer Yatta, as well as Israeli soldiers demolishing homes and expelling residents to create a military training zone. Adra said, "'No Other Land' reflects the harsh reality we have been enduring for decades, and we are still resisting, and we call on the world to take serious action to stop the injustice, to stop the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people." Abraham said they made the film because their voices are stronger together. "We see each other, the terrible destruction in Gaza and its people must stop, the Israeli hostages who were brutally taken in the crimes of October 7 must be released. When I look at Basel, I see my brother, but we are not equal. We live in a system where I am under civil law and Basel is under military law, which destroys his life and he has no control. There is another way. A political solution without racial supremacy, providing national rights for both our peoples. I have to say, I am here, and the foreign policy of this country is helping to prevent this path. Why? Can't you see that we are intertwined? My people can only be truly safe if Basel's people are truly free and safe. There is another way. Fight for life, fight for survival, it's not too late."