The 2025 Oscar Awards: A Night of Glamour, Surprises And Mickey Madison’s Big Moment
This year’s Oscar Awards honored the greatest in cinema for 2024, but it was the personal triumphs and shocking surprises that had viewers on the edge of their seats.
One of the most pivotal moments of the night was Mickey Madison winning Best Actress for her performance in Sean Baker’s indie film Anora.
The actress had already made waves with her standout roles in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Scream, but her breathtaking performance in Anora catapulted her career into this break-out win.
Madison is the first Gen Z actor in history to win an acting category, making her triumph a historic moment. As she made her way onto the stage, the whole auditorium stood to their feet and gave her a standing ovation.
“This is insane,” Madison was heard exclaiming backstage, still clutching her Oscar. “I think I fainted. I kept telling myself, ‘Don’t trip, don’t cry too hard, and for goodness’ sake, do not swear on live television.”
To add onto Madison’s historic win, Anora won four Oscars—including Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay.
Madison wasn’t the only one making history. Adrian Brody won Best Actor for his performance in The Brutalist. Despite winning one of the most coveted Oscars, Brody’s win was not free of controversy.
The actor shocked audiences with his abrupt reaction to the Academy Awards playing music during his speech, signaling him to make his way off the stage. Brody continued his speech by saying, “…turn the music off. I’ve done this before.”
Brody’s comments were not well received by fans who deemed the actor disrespectful and entitled. The actor also broke the world record for longest Oscars speech.
Despite fan predictions, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo took home no Oscars for their performances in Wicked. Fans and critics alike were surprised to see that the movie only won awards in the production categories, winning Best Production Design and Best Costume Design.
Although the Oscars did not have many performances this year, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande opened the ceremony with a beautiful performance of Defying Gravity from Wicked.
The celebration continued even after the last award was presented, with several Oscar winners and nominees stunning the red carpet for Vanity Fair’s elegant after-party. Best Actress winner Mickey Madison celebrated her win at the after party, where past winners and present colleagues united to welcome her into the fold of the Hollywood elite.
