Independent film “Anora” dominated the top honors at the 97th Academy Awards on Sunday, winning five Oscars including Best Picture, Best Director for Sean Baker, and Best Actress for Mikey Madison.
The star-studded event took place at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, less than two months after devastating wildfires tore through the area. The ceremony, hosted by Conan O’Brien, recognized the firefighters who battled those blazes, which had caused the nominations announcements to be postponed twice in January.
“America demanded it and now it’s happening: Taco Bell’s new Cheesy Chalupa Supreme. In other news, I’m hosting the Oscars,” O’Brien had quipped in his statement when announced as host.
Adrien Brody won his second Best Actor Oscar for his performance in “The Brutalist,” which entered the night with 10 nominations.
Supporting actor categories saw wins for Kieran Culkin (“A Real Pain”) and Zoe Saldaña (“Emilia Pérez”).
“Emilia Pérez,” a bizarre Netflix musical about a transsexual drug cartel leader who is undergoing sex change surgery, led all films with 13 nominations, just one short of tying the all-time record held by “Titanic,” “All About Eve”, and “La La Land.”
Despite its nomination dominance, the film won just two awards: Best Supporting Actress for Saldaña and Best Original Song for “El Mal.”
“Wicked” tied “The Brutalist” with 10 nominations and took home awards for Costume Design and Production Design. The film’s stars, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, opened the show with a powerful medley of songs: “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” from “Wizard of Oz,” “Home” from “The Wiz,” and their film’s “Defying Gravity.”
In technical categories, “Dune: Part Two” won for both Sound and Visual Effects, while horror film “The Substance” claimed the award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling.
The ceremony featured tributes to recently lost Hollywood legends. Morgan Freeman paid tribute to the late Gene Hackman, who was found dead last week along with his wife and dog in their New Mexico home. Oprah Winfrey, Whoopi Goldberg and Queen Latifah honored Quincy Jones, who died in November.
Best Documentary Feature went to “No Other Land” by Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, while “Flow” was named Best Animated Feature.
After the awards concluded, Hollywood’s elite moved to various afterparties. The official Governors Ball featured Oscars-inspired treats from chef Wolfgang Puck, while the Vanity Fair and Elton John parties were also major destinations for celebrities.
The 97th Academy Awards marked a return to Hollywood’s biggest night after years of pandemic disruptions and last year’s actors’ and writers’ strikes.