The 97th Academy Awards was a joyous affair, full of big orchestral numbers, celebrity singalongs and a triumphant hosting debut from Conan O’Brien. While “Anora” led the night with five wins, there were several snubs and surprises. Check out our list of the biggest unexpected moments below.
Surprise: Mikey Madison wins over award season darling Demi Moore
Demi Moore’s brave performance in “The Substance” seemed like it was a shoo-in for the best actress statue, given her redemption arc throughout award season and wins at the Globes, SAGs and Critics Choice Awards. Yet Madison’s performance helped “Anora” — which was awarded best picture immediately after her win — lead the night.
Snub: Original Song performances nixed
Some of the most memorable Oscar moments of all time have been the best original song performances, from Diana Ross and Lionel Richie’s 1982 rendition of “Endless Love” to last year’s “I’m Just Ken” spectacular. Sure, none of this year’s nominees reach the heights of all-timers like “My Heart Will Go On” or “Shallow,” but let’s give these tunes their moment to shine!
Surprise: “I’m Still Here” takes best international feature over “Emilia Pérez”
Given the 13 nominations “Emilia Pérez” had over the three nods for “I’m Still Here,” it seemed statistically likely that the former would take the international feature statue. But to the delight of Brazil, “I’m Still Here” prevailed.
Snub: Supporting acting as an art form
With absolutely no offense to best supporting winners Zoe Saldaña and Kieran Culkin, it’s disappointing that the night’s least surprising wins were category fraud. There is no universe where these two performances aren’t co-leads who carried their films. Is the lead actor category super competitive? Well, submit it anyway because it’s correct — and if you don’t win, it wasn’t meant to be. In its most compelling form, a supporting actor adds a much different spice to a movie than a lead, and we might as well axe the category if the distinction isn’t respected.
Surprise: “Flow” takes best animated feature
The small Latvian film inspired critics but had nowhere near the cultural footprint of projected winner “The Wild Robot” or Pixar’s massive “Inside Out 2.” Never underestimate the power of a kitty cat!
Snub: Diane Warren’s losing streak continues
The Susan Lucci of the film world, Warren lost the Oscar Sunday night after her 16th best original song nomination. This time, it was for the “Six Triple Eight” song “The Journey,” which was performed by H.E.R. You’ll get ’em next time, Diane — we’re all rooting for you!
Surprise: Sean Baker wins best editing
The “Anora” writer-director also edited his film, yet pundits had proclaimed that the steady papal drama “Conclave” would take home the editing Oscar. Voters were likely inspired by the frenetic nature of “Anora” — and how the editing kept it from falling apart.
Snub: Michelle Trachtenberg, Tony Todd and the other big names omitted from the In Memoriam
C’mon, Oscars: The show isn’t short, so take a few minutes to pay tribute to everyone who passed. For example, Variety keeps track of all the big names who have died during the year — check your work against ours! After all, within seconds there are always scores of complaints on social media about those people who were left out, so it’s not impossible to be a completist.
Surprise: “Emilia Pérez” tied for biggest Oscar loser of all time.
Although it won two statues, the film now stands alongside “Color Purple,” “The Turning Point” and “Becket” as films that have lost in 11 categories.
Surprise: “No Other Land” wins best documentary, even without U.S. distribution
Voters could see “No Other Land” through screeners and special screenings, of course, but it’s unusual for a film without U.S. distribution to gain so much momentum to get nominated, let alone win.
Surprise: Adrien Brody asked for the music to stop during his best actor acceptance speech…and it did!
You can just do that? What power!
Surprise: Young Hollywood delivered fashion wins after a drab awards season
Stars like Lisa, Rachel Sennott, Marissa Bode, Doja Cat, Emma Stone, Selena Gomez, Ana de Armas, Elle Fanning and Timothée Chalamet brought glam and drama to the end of an award season sorely missing it. Let’s always remember to tell a story with our fashion, people!
