Best Picture & Best Actress Oscars

In the end, this year’s Oscars ceremony was (almost) all about Anora.

That’s an exaggeration, of course, but our own Josh Kurp called it early (last September) while labelling Sean Baker’s movie as a Best Picture frontrunner, which is (in the words of indie distributor NEON) “a f*ckboi fairytale” that has now taken The Academy by storm. This tragicomedy, revolving around an exotic dancer who briefly marries a Russian oligarch’s son, cleaned up with the Best Picture award and Best Actress honor for Mikey Madison.

This followed Baker’s three other wins for Best Director, Best Editing, and Best Screenplay. During his multiple times at the mic, Baker roasted himself while also thanking his dog (for editing tips) and sex workers for their stories, which he used to help craft his rollicking, screwball, and at-times heartbreaking movie. The film came together on a mere $6 million budget and emerged as the Palme d’Or-winner at last year’s Cannes Film Festival.

Below, you can watch Mikey Madison’s speech, in which she declared her intent to “continue to support and be an ally” to the sex worker community. She added, “All of the incredible people, the women that I’ve had the privilege of meeting from that community has been one of the highlights of this incredible experience.”

And the Best Picture award speech for Anora is here as well.