The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical excellenece in film. They are presented annually in the United States in recognition of excellence in cinematic achievements as assessed by the Academy's voting membership. The 97th Academy Awards were held on March 2, 2025, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.
2024 had plenty of incredible horror movies, but the two films that stood out more than the rest were Robert Egger's latest film Nosferatu, and The Substance, directed by Coralie Fargeat and starring Demi Moore.
The Substance and Nosferatu together won a combined single award at this year's show, with that award being for Best Makeup and Hairstyling, which both films were nominated for. The Substance was the film that actually took home the accolade, beating Nosferatu, Wicked, A Different Man, and Emilia Pérez.
One positive of this year's show was the simple fact that these two movies even received this many nominations at all. Five Oscar nominations for The Substance and four for Nosferatu was a much higher number than most expected given the Academy's history of refusing to pay attention to the horror genre.
Anora, directed by Sean Baker, came out as the night’s biggest winner, securing five Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director for Baker, and Best Actress for Mikey Madison. The film depicts the life of a woman who works in the streets, entangled in a complex relationship with the son of a Russian boss.
Adrien Brody won Best Actor for his role in The Brutalist, while Zoe Saldaña received Best Supporting Actress for Emilia Pérez. Kieran Culkin earned Best Supporting Actor for A Real Pain.
The ceremony featured memorable events, such as Queen Latifah’s tribute to Quincy Jones and a surprise kiss between Adrien Brody and Halle Berry, reminiscent of their 2003 Oscars moment
The 55-year-old actor Edward Norton appeared to drop the F-bomb when he lost the Best Supporting Actor award at the 2025 Oscars on Sunday to Kieran Culkin, which went viral on social media.
The 97th Academy Awards celebrated standout films like Anora, recognized horror with The Substance’s win, and delivered unforgettable moments—from heartfelt tributes to viral surprises.
Edited by: Ömer Gökce