Los Angeles, Mar 3 (UNI) Mikey Madison won the best Actress award at the 2025 Oscars for her role in 'Anora' film, by defeating widely predicted frontrunner Demi Morre at the 97th Academy awards that was held at Dolby Theatre here on Sunday.
The "Anora" star, visibly stunned as her name was announced at the Dolby Theatre, delivered an emotional acceptance speech, marking a defining moment in her rising career, according to a report by PEOPLE.
Presented with the honour by last year's winner, Emma Stone, the 25-year-old actress marveled at the surreal nature of the occasion, recalling her Los Angeles upbringing and the long-held feeling that "Hollywood always felt so far away for me. So to be here standing in this room today is really incredible."
She went on to shout out her team, those behind the film, her family in attendance, the sex-worker community and her fellow Best Actress nominees, Cynthia Erivo for "Wicked", Karla Sofía Gascón for "Emilia Pérez", Moore for "The Substance" and Fernanda Torres for "I’m Still Here". "This is a dream come true; I'm probably gonna wake up tomorrow," Madison added, referencing how this felt like a dream, before thanking her Anora director Sean Baker: "I adore you. This is all because of you."
Madison's victory was unexpected, as Moore had dominated the awards season with her critically acclaimed performance in "The Substance", a body-horror film directed by Coralie Fargeat. Moore, 62, had previously swept the Golden Globes, Critics Choice Awards and several industry accolades, making her Oscar loss all the more unexpected.
The Best Actress category featured a formidable lineup of performances. Cynthia Erivo, 38, landed her third Oscar nomination for her role as 'Elphaba' in "Wicked", Jon M. Chu's adaptation of the beloved Broadway musical. Karla Sofia Gascón, 52, broke ground as the first openly transgender performer nominated in the category for "Emilia Pérez", in which she portrayed a cartel leader seeking redemption. Meanwhile, Brazilian actress Fernanda Torres, 59, became only the second Brazilian actress to receive an Oscar nomination for Best Actress, following in the footsteps of her mother, Fernanda Montenegro, who was nominated in 1999. Torres' powerful performance in "I'm Still Here", a drama set during Brazil's 1971 military dictatorship, was widely lauded and earlier in the evening, the film won Best International Feature.
For Madison, the win marks a career breakthrough. Her performance in "Anora" a modern-day Cindrella story set in the world of sex work, had already earned her a BAFTA win, but few expected her to triumph at the Oscars. She recently spoke with PEOPLE in an exclusive interview for the 2025 Oscar Portfolio and said she’s "definitely" been getting some exciting offers since the film debuted last year to great acclaim.
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