A Night of Discontent: The 2025 Oscars Frustrate Fans with Snubs and Surprises

The Oscars are usually a highlight of the year for fans who enjoy the red carpet fashion and eagerly await the winners. However, the 2025 Oscars turned out to be quite different, leaving many viewers feeling disappointed.

As a fan of Ariana Grande, I was particularly excited to see her and her "Wicked" co-star Cynthia Erivo kick off the show. Both actresses were nominated for significant awards, with Erivo up for best actress and Grande for best supporting actress. They dazzled the audience with a medley of songs inspired by the "Wizard of Oz," including classics such as "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and a touching duet of "Defying Gravity" from their musical.

Their performance was a true spectacle, showcasing the incredible range and strength of their voices, which earned them a standing ovation. It is rare to see such powerful performances at award shows that typically focus on film rather than music, but their impressive display was well deserved after their outstanding roles in the movie that debuted in November 2024.

Despite the film's star-studded cast and significant media attention, "Wicked" faced a disheartening outcome at the awards, falling short in eight out of ten categories it was nominated for, including those for Erivo and Grande. If Erivo had secured best actress, she would have joined the exclusive club of EGOT winners—a select group that includes those who have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony—and would have become the youngest to achieve this honor.

Instead, the award for best supporting actress was given to Zoe Saldaña, despite strong opinions surrounding her film, "Emilia Perez," which many critics had dismissed as inferior to other contenders like "Wicked" and "I’m Still Here." In her acceptance speech, Saldaña expressed her pride, stating, "I am a proud child of immigrant parents with dreams and dignity and hard-working hands." Saldaña has also received accolades at various other award shows, including the Golden Globes and SAG Awards.

Many fans were surprised by Saldaña's win, arguing that the overall quality of her film did not measure up to the competition, primarily as "Emilia Perez" holds a low rating of 5.4/10 on IMDb and, although it has won several awards, it faced skepticism about its value.

Meanwhile, the film that dominated the awards was "Anora," which took home five Oscars out of the six categories in which it was nominated, only missing best supporting actor. The film won prestigious awards such as best picture and best actress for Mikey Madison, who stunned the room when her name was called, especially since she had won over frontrunner Demi Moore from her starring role in "The Substance." “This is very surreal,” Madison remarked during her speech. "I grew up in Los Angeles, but Hollywood always felt so far away from me, so to be here standing in this room today is really incredible."

In another surprise, Timothée Chalamet did not win best actor for his performance as Bob Dylan in "A Complete Unknown." Instead, that honor went to Adrien Brody for his role in the low-budget film "The Brutalist,” marking his second Oscar win in this category 22 years after his first. His acceptance speech, where he spoke for nearly six minutes instead of the allotted 45 seconds, drew mixed reactions, particularly as he insisted on continuing even after the orchestra began playing to cue him off.

While this year's ceremony lacked dramatic moments similar to past Oscars, such as the infamous slap or misannouncements, it still delivered memorable performances and sparked plenty of discussion among fans and critics alike. After witnessing the SAG Awards, the snubs at the Oscars were not as shocking as anticipated, though many had hoped that "Wicked" would receive recognition for its cultural significance. Unfortunately, the Academy has a history of overlooking films that do not fit their traditional expectations.

Oscars, Awards, Film, Performances