Zoe Saldana became the first American of Dominican descent to win an Academy Award.
Sean Baker became the first filmmaker to win four Oscars in one night. (Photo Credit: X)
The 97th Academy Awards was a night of unforgettable moments and groundbreaking wins. Sean Baker’s Anora emerged as the biggest winner, taking home five Oscars, including the prestigious Best Picture award. The film triumphed over big-budget contenders like The Brutalist, Emilia Perez and Wicked. The night also marked historic victories for several first-time winners. The team behind Flow, the costume designer of Wicked, and Zoe Saldana from Emilia Perez all made history with their wins. Here are the Oscar winners who set new records this year.
1. Flow made history as Latvia’s first-ever Oscar-winning film. The visually stunning, dialogue-free animated feature won Best Animated Feature, making it the first independent film to claim the award. Though also nominated for Best International Feature, that honor went to Brazil’s I’m Still Here.
2. Paul Tazewell became the first Black man to win an Oscar for Best Costume Design, thanks to his work on Wicked. Previously nominated for West Side Story, Tazewell dedicated his win to the film’s stars, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande.
3. Zoe Saldana became the first American of Dominican descent to win an Academy Award, securing Best Supporting Actress for Emilia Perez. In her heartfelt speech, she spoke of her immigrant family’s journey and the significance of breaking barriers at Hollywood’s most prestigious event.
4. After five nominations, Brazilian filmmakers finally won their first Academy Award with I’m Still Here, which claimed Best International Feature. The film, based on the life of Eunice Paiva, sheds light on the hardships her family endured under Brazil’s military dictatorship, resonating deeply with audiences.
5. Sean Baker made Oscar history by becoming the first filmmaker to win four Oscars in one night for a single film—Anora. He took home Best Editing, Best Original Screenplay, Best Director, and the coveted Best Picture award. The film’s lead, Mikey Madison, also won Best Actress, cementing Anora’s dominance at the ceremony.
