LOS ANGELES (AP) — The 97th Academy Awards have kicked off at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles and there have already been many “firsts” achieved in the show.
“Emilia Pérez” leads the pack with 13 Oscar nominations, but “Wicked” and “The Brutalist” are close behind. The 2025 Oscars opened with its biggest musical voices. “Wicked” star Ariana Grande launched into “The Wizard of Oz” classic “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” following a visual package celebrating the city of Los Angeles.
Here’s a look at some of the winners so far.
Zoe Saldaña wins first Oscar, sweeping awards season as best supporting actress in ‘Emilia Pérez’
Zoe Saldaña earned her first Academy Award for best supporting actress in “Emilia Pérez,” capping an already accomplished awards season Sunday.
Saldaña accepted the award from the reigning winner in the category, Da’Vine Joy Randolph.
The win adds to a collection of successes for the star on the awards circuit: Saldaña won her first Golden Globe in January, and notched wins at the British Academy Film Awards, the Critics Choice Awards and Screen Actors Guild Awards.
‘Conclave’ wins Oscar for best adapted screenplay
The papal intrigue film was written by British author-playwright Peter Straughan, based on the 2016 novel of the same name by British novelist Robert Harris.
Both Straughan and Harris are veterans of the thriller genre. Straughan’s other screenplay credits include “The Snowman” and an adaptation of John le Carré‘s “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.”
Sean Baker wins original screenplay Oscar for ‘Anora’
Sean Baker won the original screenplay Oscar for “Anora,” a comedy-drama about a sex worker who marries the son of a Russian oligarch. Baker also directed, produced and edited the film starring Mikey Madison.
The film is the biggest success of Baker’s career. It had a $6 million budget and has earned over $40 million at the box officer.
Paul Tazewell becomes first Black man to receive costume design award
“Wicked,” the biggest box-office hit among the best picture nominees, won the award for best costume design, by Paul Tazewell.
“I’m the first Black man to receive the costume design award,” said Tazewell, who couldn’t finish that sentence before the crowd began to rise in a standing ovation. “I’m so proud of this.”
‘In the Shadow of the Cypress’ wins Oscar for best animated short film
Iranian filmmakers Shirin Sohani and Hossein Molayemi won their first Academy Award for “In the Shadow of the Cypress.” It was the second Iranian animated or live-action short film nominated at the Oscars and the first to win. Animation is often thought of as childlike, fun and creative in nature, but it can also elicit deep emotion: “In the Shadow of the Cypress” takes a creative and artistic approach to the relationship between a father, an old former captain who is dealing with PTSD, and his daughter.
The short also won best animated short at the Los Angeles Shorts International Film Festival.
‘Flow’ becomes first Latvian film to win Academy Award for animated feature
“Flow,″ a wordless cat parable, won the Oscar for animated feature at Sunday’s 97th Academy Awards. The win gives Latvian filmmaker Gints Zilbalodis his first Academy Award and marked a surprise victory over DreamWorks Animations’ “The Wild Robot.”
“Flow” was made with Blender, a free, open-source graphics software tool using computer generated animation. The result is a dreamy aesthetic paired with a peaceful, yet post-apocalyptic, fable about a black cat, dog, capybara, ring-tailed lemur and secretary bird trying to survive a catastrophic flood. The film has no dialogue and forces viewers to be mesmerized by the unlikely relationship and understanding between the species trying to escape the rising waters.
Kieran Culkin wins best supporting actor, completing his sweep
Kieran Culkin won the Oscar for best supporting actor Sunday at the 97th Academy Awards, completing a sweep of the category that followed his dominance in television awards last season.
Culkin triumphed over nominees Guy Pearce for “The Brutalist,” Edward Norton for “A Complete Unknown,” Yura Borisov for “Anora” and his fellow “Succession” alum Jeremy Strong for “The Apprentice.” The category was one of few with a clear favorite ahead of this year’s ceremony, after Culkin picked up the Golden Globe, BAFTA, Independent Spirit Award, SAG Award and a slew of critics awards earlier this month.
Developing
Read: Read More