An awards season full of unpredictable twists came to a close with Sunday night’s 97th Academy Awards. Director Sean Baker’s rollicking Anora was the night’s big winner, scoring Oscars for five of its six nominations,

The Vanity Fair Oscar party saw Hollywood A-listers fawning over Cynthia Erivo and Zoe Saldana, and Sean Baker and his “Anora” crew passing around their statues.

The 97th Academy Awards are spreading the love around, dishing out awards to “Anora,” “Conclave,” “Wicked” and “The Substance” in the ceremony’s first two hours.

This year’s Oscars ceremony has already seen a standing ovation-prompting performance by Wicked duo Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, a show-stopping Adam Sandler moment, and two wins so far for Anora director Sean Baker.

Grande first delivered a moonlit rendition of “Over the Rainbow,” which Judy Garland famously sang as Dorothy in the movie “The Wizard of Oz.” Erivo then belted her version of “Home” from the 1975 Broadway musical “The Wiz,” a Dorothy number originally performed by Stephanie Mills onstage and by Diana Ross in the 1978 film adaptation.

Mikey Madison won Best Actress for 'The Substance' at the Oscars 2025, beating Cynthia Erivo, Karla Sofía Gascón, Demi Moore and Fernanda Torres.

Oscars was one for the books. From Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande’s breathtaking opening performance to the many wins for Sean Baker’s Anora starring Mikey Madison to Timothée Chalamet’s butter yellow suit,

Anora” and its star Mikey Madison had a huge night, Conan O’Brien threw heaters, and some winners shared political messages.

WICKED star Cynthia Erivo pays tribute to trailblazing icon Hattie McDaniel as she stuns in a velvet green gown at the 2025 Oscars. Erivo, 38, is nominated for Best Actress for her role as Elphaba