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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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 ...

The message from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Sunday night was simple: We really, really liked Anora. No doubt this was a stellar night for independent filmmaking with Best Picture,

Catch up on top show moments from the 97th annual Oscars at the Dolby Theatre on Sunday, March 2, 2025, in Hollywood, Calif.

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.