Perspective
Hollywood’s biggest night took place in Los Angeles at the Dolby Theatre on March 15. Hosted by comedian Conan O’Brien, this year’s Oscars had plenty of action, one award after another. “Sinners” was nominated for a record 16 Academy Awards, and big names like Leonardo DiCaprio and Emma Stone also received nominations for their work.
Many watched the Oscars for the top categories: Best Picture, Best Actor and Actress and each of the supporting categories. “One Battle After Another,” starring DiCaprio, won Best Picture. The movie centers around an off-the-grid father (DiCaprio) protecting his daughter from the crazed Colonel Lockjaw (Sean Penn) after a controversial past. In addition to the high stakes and emotions, the movie also has quite a bit of humor and focuses on real-world topics.
Michael B. Jordan took home his first Academy Award for Best Actor for his role, or rather dual role, in “Sinners,” where he plays twins “Smoke” and “Stack.” Jessie Buckley won Best Actress for her performance in “Hamnet.” Penn won Best Supporting Actor for his role in “One Battle After Another,” though he was not there to accept it, and Amy Madigan won Best Supporting Actress for her role in “Weapons.”
Any Academy Awards show is not complete without its surprises, and this year’s came from the snubs and even some history. “Marty Supreme,” starring Timothée Chalamet, was nominated for nine Academy Awards, including Best Actor and Best Picture, but received zero wins, even with its 93% freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes. “Bugonia,” “The Secret Agent” and “Train Dreams,” which were also nominated for multiple awards, but received none.
On a positive note, “Singers” and “Two People Exchanging Saliva,” tied for Best Live Action Short Film, something that has happened only seven times in the 98 years of Oscars.
A list of all the nominees and winners can be found at Oscars.org.
One could say the most popular part of the award show is the infamous red carpet. The Oscars red carpet is perhaps the fanciest formal event in the nation, second to almost none, perhaps only a Gatsby party. An hour before the show, celebrities got dressed in elegant dresses, polished tuxedos and dashing designer outfits. Some celebrities even brought more than one outfit for the cameras.
Best Actress winner Buckley wore a long pink and red dress, while Best Actor winner Jordan had a sharp all black tuxedo with a gold chain. Kate Hudson appeared with her mother, Goldie Hawn, both in dashing black and turquoise dresses. Past Oscar winners Stone and DiCaprio kept it simple in a white dress and black tuxedo.
All eyes were on Anne Hathaway, who wore a sophisticated yet jaw-dropping black floral gown with a dress train. She made an appearance to give out the award for Best Costume Design alongside Vogue editor Anna Wintour, who is the inspiration behind Miranda Priestly in “The Devil Wears Prada,” which Hathaway stars in.
Criminal Justice major Tate McCullough gave his opinion on the Oscars, actors and Hollywood. McCollough really enjoyed the movies and actors that were nominated, and said his favorite movie was “Sinners.”
“It was such a fun movie. The musical scenes were great and the story it told was incredible,” said McCollough. McCollough also said he appreciated Jordan and Chalamet, praising them both for having such range at a young age.
Of all the Academy Awards shows, the Oscars are by far the most popular, and they did not disappoint this year. We saw stunning outfits straight from the runway on the red carpet, big names getting nominated for doing their best work, as well as new faces appearing on the stage and some of their first awards. Some history was also being made, movies breaking records for nominations and even tying for awards. 2025 was another great year for the film industry and we have more than enough to look forward to in 2026 and next year’s Oscars.
