The 2025 Oscars celebrated a year of daring storytelling, technical mastery, and standout performances. Below, we break down every category, including nominees, winners, film descriptions, and the reasons behind their recognition. Plus, discover why each film deserves your watchlist spot!

Actor in a Leading Role

Winner: Adrien Brody – The Brutalist
Description: A reclusive architect confronts his traumatic past while designing a controversial monument. Brody’s haunting, introspective performance anchors this psychological drama.
Why It Won: Brody’s layered portrayal of grief and artistic obsession earned universal acclaim, marking his first Oscar win since The Pianist (2003).

Nominees:

• Timothée Chalamet – A Complete Unknown: A Bob Dylan biopic focusing on his 1960s electric transition. Chalamet’s vocal mimicry and raw energy made him a frontrunner.
• Colman Domingo – Sing Sing: A prison drama about incarcerated men staging a play. Domingo’s gravitas elevated the film’s emotional core.
• Ralph Fiennes – Conclave: A Vatican-set thriller about papal intrigue. Fiennes’ restrained intensity captivated critics.
• Sebastian Stan – The Apprentice: Stan’s chilling take on a young Donald Trump’s rise in 1980s New York sparked debates.

Actor in a Supporting Role

Winner: Kieran Culkin – A Real Pain
Description: Two estranged cousins (Culkin and Jesse Eisenberg) tour Poland to honor their late grandmother. Culkin’s comedic yet heartbreaking turn stole the show.
Why It Won: Culkin balanced vulnerability and wit, proving his range beyond Succession.

Nominees:

• Yura Borisov – Anora: A Russian mob enforcer navigating Brooklyn’s underworld. Borisov’s menacing charm added depth.
• Edward Norton – A Complete Unknown: Norton played Dylan’s manager, delivering sharp, cynical dialogue.
• Guy Pearce – The Brutalist: Pearce shined as Brody’s manipulative mentor.
• Jeremy Strong – The Apprentice: Strong’s portrayal of Roy Cohn was eerily magnetic.

Actress in a Leading Role

Winner: Mikey Madison – Anora
Description: A Brooklyn sex worker (Madison) battles exploitation and addiction in Sean Baker’s gritty character study.
Why It Won: Madison’s raw, unflinching performance redefined indie realism.

Nominees:

• Cynthia Erivo – Wicked: Erivo’s powerhouse vocals as Elphaba anchored this long-awaited musical adaptation.
• Karla Sofía Gascón – Emilia Pérez: A transgender cartel leader seeking redemption. Gascón’s fierce humanity earned praise.
• Demi Moore – The Substance: Moore terrified audiences as a aging actress resorting to body horror to stay relevant.
• Fernanda Torres – I’m Still Here: A Brazilian widow rebuilding her life. Torres’ quiet resilience resonated globally.

Actress in a Supporting Role

Winner: Zoe Saldaña – Emilia Pérez
Description: Saldaña plays a conflicted lawyer aiding a cartel leader’s transition. Her nuanced moral struggles anchored the film.
Why It Won: Saldaña’s emotional depth and physical transformation stunned voters.

Nominees:

• Monica Barbaro – A Complete Unknown: Barbaro dazzled as Joan Baez, blending folk grace with fiery activism.
• Ariana Grande – Wicked: Grande’s Glinda balanced whimsy and vulnerability, marking her acting breakthrough.
• Felicity Jones – The Brutalist: Jones delivered quiet despair as Brody’s estranged wife.
• Isabella Rossellini – Conclave: Rossellini’s shrewd cardinal added gravitas to the Vatican thriller.

Animated Feature Film

Winner: Flow – Gints Zilbalodis
Description: A cat journeys through a surreal, post-human world. Minimalist animation and existential themes wowed critics.
Why It Won: Its haunting visuals and universal storytelling transcended language barriers.

Nominees:

• Inside Out 2 – Kelsey Mann: Pixar’s sequel explored teenage anxiety with humor and heart.
• Memoir of a Snail – Adam Elliot: A quirky tale of a lonely woman and her pet snail, praised for its stop-motion charm.
• Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl – Nick Park: The duo’s return mixed slapstick and British wit.
• The Wild Robot – Chris Sanders: A robot’s bond with animals in a lush wilderness dazzled families.

Best Picture

Winner: Anora – Sean Baker
Description: A sex worker’s chaotic life spirals after a relationship with a wealthy client. Baker’s trademark blend of humor and tragedy.
Why It Won: A timely, empathetic portrait of marginalized voices, backed by Baker’s visionary direction.

Nominees:

• The Brutalist: A meditation on art and trauma, elevated by Brody’s career-best work.
• A Complete Unknown: Mangold’s Dylan biopic revitalized the music drama genre.
• Conclave: A taut Vatican thriller with Fiennes’ masterclass in restraint.
• Emilia Pérez: Audiard’s genre-blending epic about identity and power.
• The Substance: Body horror meets Hollywood satire, with Moore’s fearless performance.
• Wicked: A visually spectacular musical with Erivo and Grande’s showstopping duets.

Conclusion

The 2025 Oscars highlighted films that dared to innovate, challenge norms, and amplify underrepresented voices. From Anora’s indie triumph to The Brutalist’s artistic introspection, this year’s winners and nominees proved cinema’s power to reflect and redefine humanity.

Why You Should Watch These Films

Winners:

• The Brutalist (IMDb) (Prime Video): A haunting study of art and grief, anchored by Brody’s Oscar-winning performance (IMDb: 8.1 | RT: 94%).
• Anora (IMDb) (Prime Video): Sean Baker’s masterpiece—raw, funny, and profoundly human (IMDb: 8.5 | RT: 97%).
• Flow (IMDb) (Prime Video): A visually stunning animated odyssey for philosophy lovers (IMDb: 7.9 | RT: 91%).
• Emilia Pérez (IMDb) Prime Video): A genre-defying cartel saga with Saldaña’s career-best turn (IMDb: 7.7 | RT: 89%).

Nominees:

• A Complete Unknown (IMDb) (Prime Video): Chalamet’s Dylan will electrify music fans (IMDb: 7.8 | RT: 88%).
• The Substance (IMDb) (Prime Video): Moore’s fearless dive into Hollywood’s beauty myths (IMDb: 7.4 | RT: 85%).
• Wicked (IMDb) (Prime Video): A magical spectacle with Erivo and Grande’s showstopping vocals (IMDb: 7.6 | RT: 82%).
• Conclave (IMDb) (Prime Video): Fiennes’ gripping papal intrigue (IMDb: 7.3 | RT: 81%).
• Sing Sing (IMDb) (Prime Video): A poignant testament to art’s power to heal (IMDb: 7.5 | RT: 90%)