Although people watching the Oscars broadcast on Sunday night are often waiting for the Best Actor, Actress and Picture categories, there is a reason why host Conan O’Brien shouted out another group of people at the end of his opening monologue.

It’s the night we wait for all awards season: the Oscars. The stars wowed in their most opulent fashions on the red carpet and host Conan O'Brien dished out jokes from Hollywood's Dolby Theatre. And then came time for the envelopes and the 24-karat gold-plated statuettes.

Filmmaker Sean Baker won the Academy Award for best director for "Anora," a film about an exotic dancer and sex worker who has the chance of a Cinderella story when she marries the son of a Russian oligarch.

I thank the academy for recognising a truly independent film,” Baker said in his acceptance speech. The ceremony took place less than two months after catastrophic fires displaced nearly 13,000 households in Los Angeles and affecting many in the industry.

"Anora," the story of a sex worker who gets a chance at a new life when she marries a wealthy client on a whim, won five Academy Awards on Sunday, including the coveted best picture Oscar. India and P

Sean Baker’s acclaimed dramedy dominated the 2025 Oscars ceremony, which also included emotionally searing acceptance speeches and high-energy musical numbers.

"Anora,” a strip club Cinderella story without the fairy tale ending, was crowned best picture at the 97th Academy Awards on Sunday, handing Sean Baker’s gritty, Brooklyn-set screwball farce Hollywood’s top prize.