Oscars 2025 Recap: Conan O’Brien, Mikey Madison and More

Preview:

• The 2025 were a big night for indie movies.
• Conan O’Brien proved to be a sure-handed host.
• A Bond music tribute felt like flabby padding.

Following last year’s decent if unspectacular return to Oscar standard behavior, the 2025 ceremony was one heralded with some trepidation. There was a new host (comedian and talk show veteran Conan O’Brien), the need to pay tribute to Los Angeles in the wake of the devastating wildfires and speculation as to whether many of the categories would break the way they have in other awards shows.

As it turned out, it was a giant night for one movie which, while it had certainly been seen as a major contender, hadn’t been performing that way elsewhere. Some history was made and while the speeches had a political flavor at times, the show itself largely eschewed politics (beyond one smart gag about a certain sitting president and his attitude to Russia).

All said and done, despite a hefty running time (three hours and 45 minutes all told), this year’s Academy Awards is likely to be seen as largely a success. Read on for more of our thoughts…

Related Article: ‘Anora,’ ‘The Brutalist’ and ‘Wicked’ Among the Big Prize Winners at the 2025 Academy Awards

A ‘Wicked’ Overture Wows

(L to R) Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande perform onstage during the live ABC Telecast of the 97th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 2, 2025. Credit/Provider: Trae Patton / The Academy. Copyright: ©A.M.P.A.S.

Jon M. Chu’s adaptation of the long-running stage musical may only have picked up a couple of trophies on the night (more on one of them below), but following a middling montage celebrating movies set in Los Angeles, the movie’s stars, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, kicked off the show properly with a blast of nostalgia and then smart use of ‘Wicked’s standout song.

The pair began with “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” before segueing into “Defying Gravity” and the stylish presentation combined with powerhouse pipes proved to be just the right mix of celebration and spectacle.

Conan Crushed It

Conan O’Brien hosts the live ABC telecast of the 97th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 2, 2025. Credit/Provider: Trae Patton / The Academy. Copyright: ©A.M.P.A.S.

There were the usual concerns in some quarters when Conan O’Brien was announced as this year’s Oscars host –– would he be too intellectual for audiences, was he enough of a “name”? As it turns out, he might just have scored a regular gig (assuming he wants this much pressure every year). Because by all estimations, he was a stellar emcee for the night.

Opening with a ‘Substance’ gag that was fairly expected but still played well, O’Brien’s monologue set the right tone: witty, entertaining and as usual, full of his trademark self-deprecating humor.

From threatening long-winded speeches with ‘Conclave’ star John Lithgow looking sad and disappointed to ejecting a tracksuit-clad, cheery Adam Sandler from the audience, he was assured and calm.

Adam Sandler during the live ABC telecast of the 97th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 2, 2025. Credit/Provider: Trae Patton / The Academy. Copyright: ©A.M.P.A.S.

There were also solid gags about Timothée Chalamet’s yellow suit and bike safety, and a funny bit about promising to show stars’ early headshots if they rambled (Chalamet again, with an ultrasound image).

Later in the show there was the crack at Trump via a mention of ‘Anora’ (“I guess Americans are excited to see somebody finally stand up to a powerful Russian”) and a promise that the show was not made using A.I. (“We would never do that; we used child labor — hey, they’re still people!”)

Yet despite a funny musical number (featuring a dancing Deadpool and a ‘Dune’ sandworm on piano) about not wasting the audience’s time, the show still ran very long, though that was more on the producers than the host. Which bring us to…

Troubled Tributes

Margaret Qualley performs onstage during the live ABC Telecast of the 97th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 2, 2025. Credit/Provider: Trae Patton / The Academy. Copyright: ©A.M.P.A.S.

Perhaps the most egregious example of padding was the choice of the tribute to the music of James Bond. Introduced by former ‘Die Another Day’ star Halle Berry, it was a mishmash of performance art (Margaret Qualley showing off her well-honed dancing abilities) and karaoke night for the likes of Doja Cat and Lisa from Blackpink.

It’s a little ironic that the celebration of the venerable espionage franchise comes just as it has been fully swallowed up its corporate overlords at Amazon.

Morgan Freeman onstage during the live ABC telecast of the 97th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 2, 2025. Credit/Provider: Trae Patton / The Academy. Copyright: ©A.M.P.A.S.

On a better note, Morgan Freeman kicked off the In Memoriam section with a warm remembrance of old friend Gene Hackman (who died recently at the age of 95), but the section still managed to leave off one or two notable names, including ‘Candyman’s Tony Todd. The inability to include Michelle Trachtenberg given her recent passing is perhaps excusable, but Todd died in November.

Also given special memorial treatment was music icon Quincy Jones, but despite a classy intro from Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey, the choice of “Ease on Down the Road” from ‘The Wiz’ was a vaguely confounding one.

Still, if the opening montage fell flat, the respect for First Responders (who have been more a staple of recent award shows than Karla Sofía Gascón) worked much better. Initially seeming like a now-traditional wave-and-accept-applause moment, O’Brien and his writing team turned it around by having fire officers and others read out jokes he thought were too mean, including LAFD Captain Eric Scott kicking off the bit with, “well, our hearts go out to all of those who have lost their homes… and I’m talking about the producers of ‘Joker 2.’ ”

‘Anora’ Adored

Sean Baker poses backstage with his Oscars® during the live ABC Telecast of the 97th Oscars® at Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 2, 2025. Credit/Provider: Etienne Laurent / The Academy. Copyright: ©A.M.P.A.S.

If last year was all about big-budget blockbusters with “Barbenheimer,” 2025 was the year indies struck back.

Sean Baker’s ‘Anora,’ whose combined budget ($6 million) and box office ($40.9 million worldwide) would barely cover some of the salaries for some of the giant movies, went on to take five statuettes, including Best Picture, Best Director for Baker (who also scored Best Original Screenplay and Editing) and Mikey Madison named Best Actress.

Baker became the first person since Walt Disney in 1954 to win four Oscars in one night (and the first for one movie they have personally directed), and showed that the Academy was ready to root for the little guys again.

Madison’s win was something of a surprise itself –– while she’d been going toe-to-toe with ‘The Substance’ star Demi Moore all awards season –– there had been a narrative of Moore’s legacy forming around the Best Actress gong. Yet it was Madison who ended up taking the stage for a teary, heartfelt speech.

Speeches get Subjective

Mikey Madison accepts the Oscar® for Actress in a Leading Role during the live ABC Telecast of the 97th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 2, 2025. Credit/Provider: Trae Patton / The Academy. Copyright: ©A.M.P.A.S.

Madison wasn’t the only winner to express her feelings. While the Oscar stage is no stranger to strong emotion, there was the usual blend of politics and heart-string plucking.

Baker used his various triumphs as a combined rallying call to support movies big and small and for seeing films in theaters in this age of shrinking windows and streaming dominance.

Best Documentary Feature ‘No Other Land’s Palestinian co-director Basel Adra called for an end to the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, while his Israeli collaborator Yuval Abraham insisted that there can be peaceful solution to the war in Gaza that honors both Palestinian and Israeli people, adding that “the foreign policy in this country is helping to block this path. Can’t you see that we are intertwined? That my people can be truly safe and Basel’s people can be truly free?”

There were shoutouts to sex workers and immigrant children, while Team ‘Brutalist’ (especially composer Daniel Blumberg) seemed surprised and overawed by their wins, giving real, nervy speeches.

Kieran Culkin accepts the Oscar® for Actor in a Supporting Role during the live ABC Telecast of the 97th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 2, 2025.

And then there was the comedic speech of the night, with predicted Best Supporting Actor winner, ‘A Real Pain’s Kieran Culkin proving once more to be anything but on stage. He was enthusiastic and funny, and got further laughs by pointing out to his wife, Jazz Charton that they’d talked about having more children after his Emmy win, and that she’d mentioned she’d only consider a fourth child if he won an Oscar. Whoops!

Culkin wrapped up his moment in the spotlight with, “You remember that, honey? You do? Then, I just have this to say to you, Jazz, love of my life, ye of little faith. No pressure. I love you. I’m really sorry I did this again. And let’s get crackin’ on those kids. What do you say? I love you!”

Best reaction to that? Culkin’s former ‘Succession’ co-star J. Smith Cameron, who played the long-suffering Gerri Kellman to his foul/motormouthed Roman Roy, offering the perfect tweet:

There’ll be no living with him now?

— J. Smith-Cameron? (@j_smithcameron) March 3, 2025

Presenting Popularity

Ben Stiller presents the Oscar® for Production Design during the live ABC Telecast of the 97th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 2, 2025. Credit/Provider: Phil McCarten / The Academy. Copyright: ©A.M.P.A.S.

For the most part this year, the presenters did not embarrass themselves and the bits were relatively painless.

We got Ben Stiller slowly being swallowed by scenery to introduce Best Production Design, June Squibb admitting she’s being played by ‘Nosferatu’ star Bill Skarsgård in prosthetics whenever she’s at an event and Robert Downey Jr. following Conan’s comedic lead and then going sentimentally honest handing out Best Supporting Actor.

Some awards, such as Best Costume Design were presented by the stars of the nominees’ movies, and that proved to be a mixed bag, since they worked on an emotional level, but tended to drag a little. Thank goodness then, for John “I love a roomy cassock” Lithgow and ‘Wicked’s Bowen Yang bringing the funny.

Mick Jagger presents the Oscar® for Original Song during the live ABC Telecast of the 97th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 2, 2025. Credit/Provider: Phil McCarten / The Academy. Copyright: ©A.M.P.A.S.

A highlight? Rock icon Mick Jagger taking the stage to present Best Original Song, full of jokes about how Bob Dylan was asked to do his job first (which was true; the Academy offered the subject of ‘A Complete Unknown’ to host and perform, and he turned them down).

Was this the start of a stealth campaign to get Jagger a belated, throwback Oscar for ‘Freejack’? Your guess is as good as ours. And our guess is, “maybe?”

History Happens

Paul Tazewell poses backstage with the Oscar® for Costume Design during the live ABC Telecast of the 97th Oscars® at Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 2, 2025. Credit/Provider: Richard Harbaugh / The Academy. Copyright: ©A.M.P.A.S.

Sean Baker wasn’t the only filmmaker making history on Oscar night. ‘Wicked’ costume maestro Paul Tazewell became the first black person to win his category, making emotional note of the fact.

And while we all knew she would scoop her trophy (despite, er, being much more a lead than a supporting turn), Zoe Saldaña was gracious in victory and was clearly moved by becoming the first American of Dominican descent to win an Oscar as one of two for ‘Emilia Pérez.’

‘Flow’ surprised in the Animated Feature category, and became the first Latvian Oscar winner. “Ball’s in your court, Estonia,” quipped O’Brien after the team left the stage.

When Harry Reunited with Sally

(L to R) Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal present the Oscar® for Best Picture during the live ABC Telecast of the 97th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 2, 2025. Credit/Provider: Trae Patton / The Academy. Copyright: ©A.M.P.A.S.

Proving that stars don’t have to just recreate classic scenes for Super Bowl commercials, ‘When Harry met Sally’ leads Billy Crystal (no stranger to Oscar hosting, he quipped “I used to work here,” following Ryan’s question of how long ago with “nine tuxedos…”) and Meg Ryan came on stage to give out Best Picture.

They were a classy, classic wrap to a successful event, which ended with ‘Anora’s Best Picture triumph.

Conan O’Brien hosts the live ABC telecast of the 97th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 2, 2025. Credit/Provider: Richard Harbaugh / The Academy. Copyright: ©A.M.P.A.S.

List of Best Picture Nominees: