The Oscars blew away the crowds in some parts of the live show- and caused utter outrage in other parts. From the phenomenal performance of “Defying Gravity” to Zoe Saldaña’s questionable win and following speech, the 2025 Oscars was surely a spectacle in more ways than one.
The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the most anticipated awards of the show by far. A large number of films aspire for the award, only a small chunk gets nominated, and only one could win. A Complete Unknown, Emilia Perez, The Substance and Wicked were the top contenders for the spot- unexpectedly, Anora pulled through and snagged the award. This led to many feeling as if their favorite film was snubbed, including senior Emma Reece, who explained that “[she was] not a musical person, but [felt] as if Wicked was snubbed.”
Wicked actresses Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande were both nominated for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress, fans of both expecting that at least one of them would win an award- but both of the Wicked stars were sent home empty-handed. In Grande’s place for Best Supporting Actress was Zoe Saldaña, who gave a meme-worthy introduction followed by a controversial apology towards Mexicans who felt offended by Emilia Perez. Though this moment was still an honor for Saldaña, it’s considered the short end of the stick for that night.
On the other hand, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande wowed the crowd with a stellar performance of “Defying Gravity,” sparking online admiration and resulting in hundreds of viral clips from the performance alone. With its unlimited praise, it’s considered to be one of the best performances in Oscars’ history.
The SAG Awards was merely weeks before the Oscars, and many expected similar results. Eric Jacobs thinks a contributing factor to how the Oscars are chosen is from the results of the SAG Awards, explaining how “Demi Moore was getting a lot, she won a Screen Actors Guild award. Usually, those are indicators of wins in the Oscars… [but] she didn’t [win]… The Substance itself only won one award for best makeup and hair styling.” But Jacobs also recognized that “it’s body horror, [a] kind of that genre [of] movie doesn’t normally get recognized in Awards Seasons.”
The 2025 Oscars was full of flavorful fashion, funny bits and peak performances, but it was also full of nuance and doubt. Though the Oscars were pretty solid this year, mixed feelings are what to expect with every year of awards’ season, and fans of film and music alike can only hope for better each year.
