Oscar Awards: Adrien Brody Wins Best Actor For ‘The Brutalist’, Mikey Madison Bags Best Actress For 'Anora'

22 years after winning Best Actor for 'The Pianist', Adrien Brody once again secured the same Oscar for his portrayal of another Holocaust survivor in Brady Corbet's 'The Brutalist' at the 97th Academy Awards on Sunday.

Brody's victory saw him triumph over Timothée Chalamet ('A Complete Unknown'), who had the opportunity to become the youngest Best Actor winner in history-a record still held by Brody, who was just shy of 30 when he first won, reported AP.

"I'm here once again to represent the lingering traumas and the repercussions of war and systematic oppression and of antisemitism and racism and othering," Brody remarked. "I pray for a healthier and happier and more inclusive world. If the past can teach us anything, it's to not let hate go unchecked."

Mikey Madison won Best Actress for her breakthrough role in 'Anora', in an unexpected victory over category favourite Demi Moore ('The Substance').

Sean Baker, the director of 'Anora', secured multiple accolades, including Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Editing. In his Best Director acceptance speech, Baker passionately advocated for the cinematic experience. "Where did we fall in love with the movies? At the movie theatre," he stated.

"Filmmakers, keep making films for the big screen." He also expressed his gratitude to the sex worker community, saying, "They have shared their stories. They have shared life experiences with me over the years. My deepest respect. Thank you. I share this with you."

The awards were distributed across various films, with 'Anora', 'Conclave', 'Wicked', and 'The Substance' all receiving recognition in what proved to be a thrilling Oscar ceremony. Eight of the ten Best Picture nominees secured at least one award at the Dolby Theatre on Sunday.

Among them was Netflix's 'Emilia Pérez', which, despite controversy over resurfaced offensive tweets by star Karla Sofía Gascón, won Best Supporting Actress for Zoe Saldaña.

"I am a proud child of immigrant parents with dreams and dignity and hard-working hands," said Saldaña. "I am the first American of Dominican origin to accept an Academy Award, and I know I will not be the last."

An Expected Win and a Surprise

The first award of the night, presented by Robert Downey Jr., went to Kieran Culkin for Best Supporting Actor. Culkin had dominated the awards season for his performance alongside Jesse Eisenberg in 'A Real Pain'. "I have no idea how I got here," Culkin admitted.

"I've just been acting my whole life." He humorously referenced a previous promise from his wife, Jazz Charton, who had suggested they could have a fourth child if he won an Oscar. Culkin seized the moment, saying, "Love of my life, ye of little faith."

One of the biggest surprises came in the Best Animated Feature category, where the Latvian film 'Flow' defeated DreamWorks Animation's 'The Wild Robot'. The wordless film, an ecological tale about a cat in a flooded world, marked Latvia's first-ever Oscar win. "Thank you to my cats and dogs," quipped director Gints Zilbalodis while accepting the award.

'Wicked' Takes Two

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, stars of 'Wicked', opened the ceremony with a tribute to Los Angeles following the devastating wildfires earlier this year. Grande performed 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow', while Erivo sang Diana Ross's 'Home', before they joined forces for 'Defying Gravity' from their blockbuster musical. Later, 'Wicked' claimed the awards for Best Production Design and Best Costume Design.

"I'm the first Black man to receive the Costume Design award," announced Paul Tazewell, who was met with a standing ovation before he could finish his sentence. "I'm so proud of this."

Best Makeup and Hairstyling went to 'The Substance' for its unsettling mix of beauty and body horror. 'Dune: Part Two' won both Best Visual Effects and Best Sound, with its sandworm featuring in multiple comedic moments throughout the evening. Brady Corbet's post-war epic 'The Brutalist', shot in VistaVision, secured Best Cinematography for Lol Crawley and Best Original Score for Daniel Blumberg.

Politics Left Unspoken, at First

Despite 'The Apprentice' featuring the first-ever Oscar-nominated portrayal of a sitting U.S. president (Sebastian Stan as a young Donald Trump), political themes remained largely absent in the early parts of the ceremony. Host Conan O'Brien steered clear of the topic in his opening monologue. However, nearly two hours into the event, presenter Daryl Hannah simply stated, "Slava Ukraini" ('Glory to Ukraine!').

'No Other Land', a documentary about the Israeli occupation of the West Bank co-directed by Palestinian and Israeli filmmakers, won Best Documentary. After struggling to secure a U.S. distributor, the filmmakers opted for self-distribution, resulting in the highest box office gross of all the documentary nominees.

"There is a different path, a political solution, without ethnic supremacy, with national rights for both our people," said Yuval Abraham, an Israeli filmmaker, standing beside his Palestinian co-director Basel Adra. "And I have to say, as I am here, the foreign policy in this country is helping to block this path. Why? Can't you see that we are intertwined, that my people can't be truly safe if Basel's people aren't truly free?"

Walter Salles' 'I'm Still Here', a documentary on resistance under the Brazilian military dictatorship, won Best International Film. Initially, 'Emilia Pérez' had seemed poised to claim the award, given its 13 nominations and strong Netflix campaign. However, 'I'm Still Here' garnered passionate support in Brazil and resonated globally due to its political significance.

O'Brien Delivers in His Opening

Conan O'Brien, introduced as a "four-time Oscar viewer," opened the ceremony with his signature self-deprecating humour. 'A Complete Unknown'. 'A Real Pain'. 'Nosferatu'. These are just some of the names I was called on the red carpet," he joked.

Hosting the Oscars for the first time, O'Brien avoided political topics but delivered a widely praised monologue. Highlights included John Lithgow's exaggerated disappointment, Adam Sandler's enthusiastic "Chalamet!" and a gag involving Jeff Bezos arriving in a cardboard box. O'Brien's most heartfelt remarks were dedicated to Los Angeles and the enduring "magic and grandeur" of cinema in the wake of the wildfires. "I won't waste time," he concluded, before transitioning into a musical performance.

An Unpredictable Year for the Oscars

This year's Oscars unfolded amidst a challenging period for the film industry. Cinema attendance was down 3% from the previous year, with a more significant drop compared to pre-pandemic levels. The industry was also still reeling from the 2023 strikes, which disrupted release schedules and halted production, leaving many without work. The January wildfires in California only compounded these difficulties.

Last year's Oscars, bolstered by 'Oppenheimer' and 'Barbie', achieved a four-year ratings high of 19.5 million viewers. This year, with independent films dominating the major categories, the Academy faced a challenge in attracting similar viewership.

The ceremony also came just days after the death of two-time Oscar winner Gene Hackman at the age of 95. Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were found deceased at their New Mexico home. Morgan Freeman, his co-star in 'Unforgiven' and 'Under Suspicion', paid tribute: "This week, our community lost a giant, and I lost a dear friend."