How Anora has become the surprise Oscar favourite after major wins

Anora has become the surprise frontrunner for the 2025 Oscars after some recent award wins.

The movie chronicles a prostitute’s story, as she takes on a client who turns out to be the son of a wealthy Russian tycoon. She is taken aback when he proposes marriage to secure U.S. residency. However, upon learning about his intentions to stay in America, his family intervene.

Under the guidance of Sean Baker, director of ‘Tangerine’ and ‘The Florida Project’, the film ‘Anora’ features Mikey Madison, known for her roles in ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ and ‘Scream’.

Over the weekend, Baker received two prestigious awards: the Directors Guild Awards (DGAs) prize for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film and the Darryl F Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures at the Producers Guild Awards (PGAs). Remarkably, he won both trophies on the same night.

What’s interesting about these awards is how often they translate into Oscars success.

19 out of the last 22 winners of the DGAs’ highest honor have subsequently won the Best Director award at the Oscars, while 25 out of the last 34 recipients of the PGAs’ top prize have ultimately received the Best Picture accolade at the Academy Awards.

Anora is up for honors in two categories at the Oscars, along with nominations for Best Actress (Madison), Best Supporting Actor (Yuri Borisov, who’s the first Russian actor to be nominated in nearly half a century), and both Best Original Screenplay and Best Editing (Baker).

After a strong showing over the weekend, there’s speculation that “Anora” might take the spotlight in both Best Picture and Best Director categories, where until now, “The Brutalist” was considered the frontrunner. Could it be possible for “Anora” to continue its success and win the coveted Oscar?

The 97th Annual Academy Awards will unfold in the United States on March 2nd, a Sunday. In the UK, you can catch it live on ITV1 and ITVX.

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2025-02-10 14:19