The Oscars, also known as the Academy Awards, is one of the most anticipated events of the year. It is a night full of fun-filled excitement, with performances from many dancers and singers, and awards given out for the best films of the previous year. This year’s 97th annual Academy Awards occurred on March 2, 2025 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Comedian Conan O’Brien hosted the show.
This year, there were many exciting and moving things that occurred during the show. Many of the anticipated films that were honored at this year’s show were Dune Part 2, Wicked, The Substance, The Brutalist, Conclave, Anora, and, Emilia Pérez.
Some of the most coveted categories for the Oscars include Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Director. The talented winners included Mikey Madison for Best Actress, Adrien Brody for Best Actor, Sean Baker for Best Director from Anora, Zoe Saldana for Best Supporting Actress, and Kieran Culkin for Best Supporting Actor.
Throughout the show, clips of the nominees for Best Picture were shown and the winner was revealed at the end. Anora, starring Mikey Madison and directed by Sean Baker, won the award. This film also won Best Original Screenplay and Best Film Editing.
One highlight was when actress and singer Queen Latifah performed, honoring the late Quincy Jones, by singing the song “Ease On Down the Road” from the the 1978 remake of the Wizard Of Oz, The Wiz. Quincy Jones was a music producer and composer who died in Nov. 2024. His work is most remembered for the songs he wrote for the movie, The Wiz.
Another highlight was a change to the show’s structure. For years at the Oscars, the nominees for Best Original Song were traditionally performed during the show. However, this year they changed this format and none of the nominees performed their songs. This was due to the limited amount of airtime that they had to conduct the ceremony.
This does not mean that the Oscars were void of music this year. The stars of Wicked, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo performed a medley of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”, “Home”, and “Defying Gravity” with Cynthia Erivo, amazing the crowd finishing off the song with the iconic ending riff to “Defying Gravity.”
Later on, a tribute to the James Bond franchise was performed by several famous singers. Lisa from Blackpink sang “Live and Let Die” which also included a dance performance featuring actress and dancer, Margaret Qualley. Doja Cat followed her, singing “Diamonds are Forever.” Lastly, Grammy-nominated artist, Raye, performed “Skyfall.”
The Oscars first started on May 16, 1929, and were held at the Hollywood Roosevelt in Los Angeles. The award show was created to honor and recognize the excellence in filmmaking as well as the many actors who stepped into the roles and became the characters they needed to be for the amazing films created.
Overall, this year’s Oscars were a great success with a lot of anticipation for this year’s nominations as many great films as well as actors were considered for these honorable awards. This year’s award show was a great surprise for the actors and actresses that took home their trophy and left with a successful win.
