For the second year in a row, comedian Conan O’Brien hosted the ceremony, introducing himself as “the last human host of the academy awards,” a comment on technology and artificial intelligence taking over many human jobs, an especially frightening truth for the arts. In his opening monologue, he joked around with the audience. O’Brien informed the audience that the security of the event was high due to “concerns about attacks from both the opera and ballet communities”; an intentional attack on Timothée Chalamet’s statement earlier this year. Towards the end of his opening ten minutes, the monologue took a more serious tone, discussing the severity of the socio-political state of the world, remarking the importance of spreading hope and joy in the process of healing global interactions.
A note on the musical performances; most significantly a Sinners recreation. The blues-turned-rock musical along with dancers, acrobats and singers of all kinds flourished on stage. Previous principal dancer (the first African-American) at ABT Misty Copeland also made a surprise appearance. This was a wonderful surprise, not only because of her talent, she is newly retired and straight out of surgery!
Now for the awards! This year, a new category was introduced, Best Casting. Not only is casting a crucial part of what makes a great film by ensuring talent and chemistry between actors, it is also a notable effort in bringing attention to all those working in film production who are often unnoticed. Cassandra Kulukundis, who casted several previously unknown and inexperienced actors alongside stars such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Sean Penn in One Battle After Another, won the first ever award.
Autumn Durald earned an incredible distinction, not only for herself but for the world as the first female to ever win the award for Best Cinematography for her work on Sinners. Through this, she set a new standard for women in the industry. She also made a remarkable impression by asking all the women in the room to stand up, reasoning by saying: “because I feel like I don’t get here without you guys.” This is further proof of how the arts and events like the Oscars and Grammys become mediums for reform through vocalizing issues and advocating for change.
Scandinavia contributed more than usual to this ceremony. For the third time, Ludwig Göransson won the Oscar for Best Score. He won in 2018 for Black Panther, and in 2024 for Oppenheimer; this year for his work on Sinners. In the movie he combines blues with rock and DJ:ing, an impressive musical creation. The film Sentimental Value was recognized in several categories, including Best Picture, Best Actress in a Leading Role, and Best Actor in a Supporting Role. Unfortunately Swedish Stellan Skarsgård, and Norwegian Renate Reinsve lost to American and Irish celebrities, and Best Picture was also a far reach. However they did win for Best International Feature Film – an impressive achievement for a Norwegian-based production.
The award for Best Director was announced by Zendaya and Robert Pattison, a hint to their upcoming rom-com thriller The Drama. The statuette was given to none other than Paul Thomas Anderson for One Battle After Another, an emerging but incredibly talented individual in the film industry.
When it was time to announce the award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, the tension was high. So many talents in the category, and when last year’s, and two-time winner Adrien Brody announced Michael B. Jordan’s name, it definitely came as a surprise to some. He was clearly very proud and emotional, and took home the award as a wonderful achievement in his career, but also as the opening of a new chapter in Hollywood. Portraying twins in the gothic horror film Sinners, he beat none other than Ethan Hawke and Leonardo Di Caprio, the latter whom Hollywood seems to not care for as much – either because he is simply too good, or maybe his dating practices are catching up to him… This could be a sign of the new generation of talent pushing away the old classic stars.
The three-time, including this year, nominee Timothée Chalamet was seated in the front row next to Kylie Jenner, his partner of three years. Chalamet (who has become increasingly arrogant and boastful in the media) probably came with high expectations, as his riveting performance as Marty won him the award for Best Actor at both the Golden Globes and Critics’ Choice earlier this award season. The night seemed to only go downhill for the Dune actor, with Marty Supreme losing every single one of its nine nominations. It is possible that there is some truth in the argument that Chalamet is simply too immature and arrogant for the prestigious award, and that this possibly influenced the outcome of the awards for the film itself.
For the first time, an Irish actress won the award for the Best Actress in a Leading Role, just in time for St. Patrick’s Day. Jessie Buckley, who dedicated her award to “the beautiful chaos of a mother’s heart,” something she embodies in the film she was nominated for; Hamnet. The film tells the journey Shakespeare’s wife undergoes while healing from the death of their child Hamnet. A well deserved award for a woman whose hard work and talent truly came through in this movie, showcasing grief and a mother’s love beautifully.
Last but not least: Best Picture. This movie received a total of 13 nominations, and as the last one of the six it was awarded, One Battle After Another won in the most prestigious category. This is an incredible film that is not only massively entertaining, but also touches on crucial topics highly relevant to the society we live in and should (in my opinion) be but on everyone’s to-be-watched.
It was a night especially great for One Battle After Another and Sinners. The latter had more nominations than any movie ever; 16 in total, exceeding that of both Lala Land and Titanic, yet “only” won in four of the categories. Bugonia, Blue Moon and Train Dreams did not win any, likely a result of their unique styles. There is something to be said for the bias the almost 10,000 voters of the Academy has, and the seemingly tilting results, where the hidden gems of cinema are not even remotely recognized. However it is beyond discussion that One Battle After Another deserved its wins.
2025 was a great year of films, and we can only hope that 2026 brings much more to this art scene. Film has always been, and will continue to be a vital medium of entertainment with often subtle (or not so subtle), political intentions that in current times can seem more necessary than ever. What was your favorite film last year, and who do you think will take home the most awards next year? Let us know, and stay tuned for more reports on the global culture scene!
See the full list of winners and nominees here.
