Sean Baker makes Oscars history with 4 wins for Anora!

Anora dominated the 97th Academy Awards, winning five Oscars, including Best Picture. Director Sean Baker made history by sweeping all four categories he was nominated for—Best Director, Best Editing, and Best Original Screenplay. His four wins for a single film set a new record for most Oscars won for one movie in a night.

Baker surpassed Bong Joon Ho, who won big for Parasite in 2020. Bong secured Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay. However, his fourth win, Best International Feature, was awarded to South Korea, not him. Notably, both Parasite and Anora also won the Palme d’Or at Cannes before their Oscar triumphs.

While accepting Best Director, Baker urged studios to prioritize theatrical releases. “Distributors, focus on theatrical releases first. Parents, take your kids to theaters to shape the next generation of filmmakers. Let’s keep the moviegoing tradition alive,” he said.

Walt Disney also won four Oscars in one night back in 1953, but for four different films. His wins included Best Documentary Feature (The Living Desert), Best Documentary Short (The Alaskan Eskimo), Best Cartoon Short (Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom), and Best Two-Reel Short (Bear Country).

Mikey Madison won Best Actress for her role in Anora, beating frontrunner Demi Moore (The Substance), Cynthia Erivo (Wicked), Karla Sofia Gascón (Emilia Pérez), and Fernanda Torres (I’m Still Here). At 25 years and 11 months, she became the ninth-youngest Best Actress winner. She also became the second actor born in the 1990s to win, following Jennifer Lawrence.