The97th Academy Awardsceremony unfolded with some surprises, but the biggest upset of the night was undoubtedly Mikey Madison winning the Oscar for Best Actress for herrole inAnoraover Demi Moore. The 25-year-old actress has been active since 2013, but is a relative newcomer compared to her competition in the Big Three category at the Oscars. Prior to her starring role inAnora,Madison had smaller rolesin Quentin Tarantino’sOnce Upon A Time In Hollywoodand the 2022 sequelScream, along with a starring role in the FX comedy dramaBetter Things.
Demi Moore, on the other hand, has been acting since the early 1980s, and has been an established star in Hollywood since her breakout in 1990’sGhostalongside Patrick Swayze. In recent years, Moore’s acting roles have been limited to mostly independent movies and TV shows. Her role in Coralie Fargeat’sbody horror filmThe Substanceacted as a sort of career renewal for Moore, with her performance receiving universal acclaim. She took home several key awards during the 2024/2025 awards season, and was a favorite for the Academy Award for Best Actress to the very end.
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While there were not too many surprising parts of the 97th Academy Awards, a select handful of wins were truly stunning, especially for Best Actress.
Madison Picked Up Several Key Awards Late In Awards Season
Demi Moore looked like the odds-on favorite for Best Actress earlier in 2025, as she swept several of the major awards that are typically a precursor to winning Best Actress. For her engrossing and committed performance in The Substance, Moore took home a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Golden Globe, and a Critics' Choice Award, along with a plethora of regional critics' awards. It seemed likely that her career renewal would be topped off with the Best Actress nod at the Oscars, but Madison gained ground on her in the final weeks before the ceremony.
Mikey Madison had not earned any major award nominations prior to her performance inAnora, which earned her more than 30 nominations and more than 20 wins in total across the major and minor awards circuits.
The biggest sign that the newcomer could be a serious threat to Moore was Madison taking home the British Academy Film Award (BAFTA) for Best Actress in a Leading Role, beating out Moore herself to do it. She also won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Lead Performance, again beating out Moore. Madison’s chances seemed to improve by the week, and it obviously culminated with her taking home the ultimate prize in cinema.
Anora Becoming The Best Picture Frontrunner Helped Mikey Madison’s Chances
The Movie Picked Up Steam In The Final Weeks
Madison’s chances were likely helped by the fact that the movie she starred in started to gain momentum as the Oscars drew near. While it started off strong by winning the Palme d’Or for its debut at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2024, the romantic comedy-drama slowly picked up more steam as more people saw the movie and word-of-mouth spread. It wound up grossing $41 million at the box office on a budget of just $6 million, and heads began to turn in the direction of writer/director Sean Baker and his independent film.
The final evidence ofAnora’s excellence came in the form of Oscar nominations. It earned six total nominations (including Madison’s Best Actress nomination), with Baker becoming the second person to ever win four Academy Awards for the same movie as he collected them for writing, producing, editing, and directing the film. It became an unstoppable force in the latter stages of award season, which shined a brighter spotlight on Madison’s captivating performance.
Mikey Madison Beating Demi Moore For Best Actress At The Oscars Is Still Surprising
Moore’s Career Rejuvenation Made An Oscar Win Feel Poetic
Despite all that momentum, it still came as a shock to many when Emma Stone announced Madison as the winner instead of Moore. While both women, along with the other brilliant finalists, were deserving, it felt like Moore had an edge given the physically-intense nature of her role inThe Substance. On top of that, she was returning to the spotlight after years away from the brightest lights in Hollywood, and the narrative of her winning an Oscar as she revitalized her career felt poetic. Taking nothing away from the other actresses, Moore felt like the correct choice to many.
Despite Demi Moore’s incredible performance inThe Substance, Mikey Madison was absolutely excellent inAnora, and between Madison and Moore there really wasn’t a wrong answer.
However, the momentum of Madison and ofAnorain general was enough to pry the coveted Best Actress away from Moore in the final weeks before the Oscars. Fortunately, it isn’t a case of a clearly inferior choice getting the edge with the Academy, as has been the case in the Oscars' history. Mikey Madison was absolutely excellent inAnora, and between Madison and Moore there really wasn’t a wrong answer. Generally speaking, the2025 Oscarswas loaded with talent and great movies, and it would be hard to argue against a victory for any of the nominees for Best Actress.
