The Oscars got bold.

Adrien Brody, halfway through his long-winded speech, demanded the exit music stop. Anora, an indie movie about a Brooklyn exotic dancer falling in love with the son of a Russian oligarch, swept the tightest races of the night. Emilia Pérez, despite its firestorm of controversy, took home Best Supporting Actress and Best Original Song.

Still, Hollywood’s biggest night got stylish. Historic, even.

The Red Carpet

Cynthia Erivo, the star of Wicked, showed up in — nonetheless —Wicked! She dazzled in deep green custom Louis Vuitton, with gemstone nails that draped aesthetically across her torso. Altogether, Elphaba shone through Erivo. While she couldn't claim her coveted EGOT, she served a memorable red carpet look.

Alongside Erivo, Ariana Grande embodied Glinda in a wavy light velvet Schiaparelli dress. The two stunned the front row of the audience, keeping the same dynamic as in the musical.

For the men, Dune: Part Two star Timothée Chalamet walked the red carpet in a buttery yellow tux, later changing into a silky pitch-black Tom Ford suit. His lemonade-hued tuxedo was out of the box and strayed far from his previous stylistic choices. For the 2024 Golden Globes, he sported a sparkly all-black look, which he repeated at last year’s Oscars.

Meanwhile, like the Wicked's actresses, Jeff Goldblum dressed eccentrically. His look featured a white jacket, classic Prada pants, and a floral brooch honeycombing his silky shirt.

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Historic Wins

Filmmakers etched history at the Oscars.

Zoe Saldana, the lead in Emilia Pérez, won the highly contested Best Supporting Actress race. In her emotionally charged speech, she said, "I am a proud child of immigrant parents... I am the first American of Dominican origin to accept an Academy Award, and I know I will not be the last." Some speculated that Saldana was taking a subtle dig at President Trump's controversial immigration crackdown.

Paul Tazewell also made history in the costume design category, becoming the first Black man to win an Oscar for his versatile work in Wicked. Taking the stage, he said, "I'm the first Black man to receive a costume design award." Cynthia Erivo, Jon M. Chu, and other notable filmmakers gave the designer a thunderous ovation. He later thanked the cast for trusting him "with bringing [their] characters to life."

This year’s wins weren’t short on international films. Flow, a stunning feline-centric film, won Best Animated Feature, giving Latvia its first Oscar. Meanwhile, Brazil claimed its first Academy Award for Best International Feature with I'm Still Here, a film chronicling the story of Eunice Paiva and her family during Brazil’s tumultuous dictatorship.

Anora’s Sweep

Anora won big at the Oscars, capturing Best Actress for rising star Mikey Madison and a record-breaking four prizes, including Best Director for Sean Baker.

The Best Actress competition was, arguably, the closest. Demi Moore bedazzled in The Substance, Fernanda Torres delivered a passionate performance in I'm Still Here, and Cynthia Erivo had a shot at her EGOT.

Yet, it was Mikey Madison who nabbed the award for her "dramatic" and "headstrong" portrayal of an exotic dancer. Clad in a ribbon-tied pink Dior gown, Madison recognized the "[censored] worker community" and said working with them had been "a privilege" and "a highlight of this incredible experience."

Sean Baker took home Best Original Screenplay, Best Editing, Best Director, and Best Picture. Having built a name off Tangerine and The Florida Project, Anora marked the pinnacle of his storytelling craft. He thanked the Academy for "recognizing a truly independent film," and proclaimed, "Long live independent film!" In recent years, Netflix and other film giants have dominated the Oscars, but Anora’s indie status cemented its glory. It could pave the way for more independent works.

Politics, Politics, and Politics

Conan O'Brien kept his opening monologue, a typical political hotspot, lukewarm. Occasionally, he threw in a jab. "You know, Anora is having a good night. That’s great news! I guess Americans are excited to see someone finally stand up to a powerful Russian," he joked, which the audience seemed to get.

While accepting his Best Actor award for The Brutalist, a post-Holocaust film about a surviving Jewish architect, Adrien Brody denounced antisemitism. "I'm here once again to represent the lingering traumas and repercussions of war," he said. The two-time Best Actor recipient pledged to fight for "a healthier and happier world" and "what’s right."

The night’s biggest political moment came when No Other Land won Best Documentary Feature. The joint Palestinian-Israeli documentary focused on the forced displacement of Palestinians from their community in Masafer Yatta. In his speech, co-director Yuval Abraham explained, "We made this film, Palestinians and Israelis, because together our voices are stronger." However, Israel’s culture minister later opposed the win as a "sad moment for the world of cinema."

Overall, this year's Oscars mostly steered clear of heated politics, but some actors and filmmakers didn’t shy away.

Star Performances

The awards show opened with a stunning performance of Ariana Grande’s rendition of Over the Rainbow. Moon rays sprinkled through dark clouds as Grande, in a ruby-red dress, hit vibrato-filled crescendos. The audience whooped and cheered every five seconds—each reaction deserved. As she exited to thunderous applause, Cynthia Erivo, in a floral-bedecked dress, took the stage.

Erivo passionately performed her songs, the orchestra harmonizing behind her. To cap off the opening, the Wicked duo, holding hands, commanded Defying Gravity. Erivo sang, "Everybody deserves a chance to fly." They definitely flew high. Grande and Erivo set a new benchmark for Oscar openings with their gutsy performance.

Another iconic moment was the James Bond Musical Tribute starring Doja Cat, LISA, and RAYE. Thai star LISA let her voice soar as backup dancers brawled and cartwheeled across the stage. The cameras then panned to a diamond-clad Doja Cat as she powered through Diamonds Are Forever. Rounding out the tribute, RAYE trumpeted Adele’s Skyfall, framed by solar halos glowing behind her black-and-white gown.

The Takeaway

In short, this year’s Oscars were powerful. Subtle political jabs. An indie talk-of-the-town.

Breakout stars. But, more than anything, this awards season marked a shift—one that celebrated both rising talent and industry veterans. More international films took home awards, and the red carpet saw a creative revival.

Creativity is finally back in Hollywood.