The 2025 Academy Awards were last night, and it was an amazing celebration of all the talented artists in the film industry. To provide a little background, the Oscars is an event that has been occurring annually since 1929, although it was only known as the Academy Awards at the time. Later, this occasion of recognition gained the name we know today as the Oscars.

Each year, there are categories for awards in the film industry, appreciating all those who are involved in film, whether they are actors, directors, or have created a short film. Receiving an Oscar is one of the most prestigious awards you can receive if you are in the industry. For this reason, last night was an exciting one for many, but in case you missed it, here's a recap of the highlights of the event.

Nominees

There are a total of 120 nominees for the Oscars each year, with 5 for every category except for "Best Picture". This year, Bowen Yang and Rachel Sennott hosted the announcements. Everyone who was nominated was ecstatic to find out, as displayed by a compilation posted by the Oscars themselves.

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Red Carpet Looks

Everyone looked amazing as they walked down the red carpet last night. Here is the complete footage of every celebrity's moment to shine. If you're unable to watch the whole thing, here's a list of the highlights of everyone's looks.

Ariana Grande

Grande wore a Schiaparelli gown, custom made, with flowy tulle hanging from a structured bodice.

Designer: Schiaparelli

Halle Berry

Inspired by a disco ball, Berry wore this dress made by Christian Siriano.

Designer: Christian Siriano

Lisa

Blackpink's Lisa donned a cross between a suit and gown, accented by a single red flower.

Designer: Christian Siriano

Cynthia Erivo

Dramatic and elegant, Erivo wore a velvet green gown with a structured skirt.

Designer: Louis Vuitton

Zoe Saldaña

Saldaña, a star from Emilia Pérez looked amazing in a layered satin red dress.

Designer: Saint Laurent

Bowen Yang

The announcer of Oscar nominees himself wore a leather jacket, accented with bright patterns.

Designer: Etro

Storm Reid

With the highest level of flair, Reid walked the red carpet with a bright red dress and a grand cape.

Designer: Alexandre Vauthier

Jeff Goldblum

The Wicked star wore a classy white jacket over a patterned shirt, accented with a floral boutonnière.

Designer: Prada

Performers

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande

The two Wicked stars performed a compilation of songs from The Wizard of Oz, The Wiz, and, of course, Wicked. Their performance was so good that even Ariana Grande's brother Frankie posted a video of himself crying while listening to the songs. Fans of Grande and Erivo had similar reactions, as many have posted reaction videos applauding the performance.

Queen Latifah

In honor of the late Quincy Jones, Queen Latifah sang "Ease on Down the Road" from The Wiz. She paired steady vocals with an energetic beat to create a rendition that was respectful to Jones while bringing her own touch to it.

LISA, Doja Cat, and RAYE

These three performed a tribute to the James Bond franchise, singing songs from various movies. LISA, Doja Cat, and RAYE each performed "Live and Let Live", "Diamonds are Forever", and "Skyfall", respectively. Although this was a medley, each singer had solo time on the stage to create a masterful and moving performance of each song.

Winners

A total of 23 awards were given out at the Oscars this year. The full list of winners can be found here. Anora really stood out, winning five awards! Some other winners were Mikey Madison for "Best Actress", Adrien Brody for "Best Actor", and Sean Baker for "Best Director".

Despite this, everyone who was there that night, along with those who couldn't make it, should be celebrated. This past year had so many movies with amazing performances from a variety of people. The Academy Awards shed some light on everyone's hard work, so if you couldn't watch it this year, be sure to follow it in 2026!