Sean Baker has won best director at the Oscars for “Anora,” the story of a Brooklyn exotic dancer who marries the impetuous son of a Russian oligarch.

Fellow nominees included 'The Brutalist,' 'A Real Pain,' 'September 5,' and 'The Substance' Anora screenwriter Sean Baker has secured Oscar gold! At the 97th annual Academy Awards on Sunday, March 2,

Sean Baker, the now-four time Oscar-winning filmmaker behind best picture champion “Anora,” didn’t let the moment go to waste when he accepted the trophy for directing, his third of the night.

The 97th Academy Awards are upon us. Follow our live updating list throughout the 2025 Oscars to see all the winners, as they're announced.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — “Anora,” a strip club Cinderella story without the fairy tale ending, was crowned best picture at the 97th Academy Awards on Sunday, handing Sean Baker’s gritty, Brooklyn-set screwball farce Hollywood’s top prize.

"Distributors, please focus first and foremost on the theatrical releases of your films," said the 'Anora' during his acceptance speech.

Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. Sean Baker accepts the award for best original screenplay for “Anora” during the Oscars on Sunday, March ...

Smaller movies didn’t mean smaller viewer numbers for the Oscars. An estimated 19.7 million viewers watched Sunday night’s 97th Academy Awards ceremony, the biggest audience in five years.

Adrien Brody took home his second leading man Oscar for “The Brutalist,” Mikey Madison took home the best lead actress statuette and “Anora” was crowned best movie on its way to five awards Sunday.

When Sean Baker’s “Anora” swept the 97th Academy Awards, its five wins, including best picture, heralded a different kind of Oscar winner.

Sean Baker, winner of the awards for best original screenplay, best film editing, best director, and best picture for "Anora," poses in the press room at the Oscars on Sunday, March 2, 2025, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

Sean Baker, winner of the awards for best original ... March 2, 2025, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP) poses in the press room at the Oscars on Sunday ...