The Night Tom Cruise Joined the Oscar Winners’ Circle
For decades, it stood as one of Hollywood‘s most puzzling omissions: Tom Cruise, global superstar, never having an Oscar to his name. That finally changed in 2025 when Cruise received an honorary Academy Award at the Governors Awards, offering one of the most emotional moments of this awards season .
Meanwhile, at the main ceremony, Sean Baker’s “Anora” claimed the top prize of Best Picture, while the 97th Academy Awards made history with groundbreaking nominations and wins that signaled the Academy’s evolving direction .
This year’s Oscars weren’t just about who won—they were about recognizing cinematic excellence in all its forms, from blockbuster auteurs to international voices finally getting their due.
Tom Cruise’s Long-Awaited Oscar Moment
An Honor for a Lifetime of Cinema
On November 16, 2024, at the 16th Governors Awards, Tom Cruise received his first Oscar—an Honorary Academy Award recognizing his extraordinary contributions to cinema throughout his 45-year career . The actor, famously nominated four times for films like “Born on the Fourth of July” and “Top Gun: Maverick” but never winning, finally joined the ranks of Oscar recipients .
The presentation came from Mexican filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu, who is directing Tom Cruise in an upcoming 2026 film . In his introduction, Iñárritu captured the sentiment of the room: “Tom Cruise doesn’t just make movies, he is movies” .
“Making Films Is Who I Am”
Tom Cruise’s acceptance speech became an instant highlight, focusing not on personal achievement but on his lifelong passion for cinema . “Making films is not what I do, it is who I am,” he told the star-studded audience, which included Steven Spielberg, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Jerry Bruckheimer .
He recalled the magic of childhood moviegoing experiences: “I was just a little kid in a darkened theater, and I remember that beam of light just cut across the room… Suddenly, the world was so much larger than the one that I knew” . This early fascination, he explained, sparked “a hunger to understand humanity, to create characters, to tell a story, to see the world” .
In a moving gesture, Cruise asked everyone in the Ray Dolby Ballroom who had ever worked with him to stand up . As dozens rose, he applauded them, saying, “Please know that I carry you with me—each of you—and you are a part of every frame of every film that I have ever made or ever will make” .
Recognizing Other Industry Icons
The Governors Awards also honored three other exceptional contributors:
- Dolly Parton received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for her philanthropic work, including her Imagination Library program and support for medical research . Unable to attend due to health reasons, she accepted via video message .
- Debbie Allen, acclaimed choreographer and performer, received an honorary Oscar for her decades of influence .
- Wynn Thomas, groundbreaking production designer, became the first Black member of the Art Directors Guild and was honored for his work on films like “Hidden Figures” and Spike Lee collaborations .
The 97th Academy Awards: “Anora” Triumphs and History Made
While Tom Cruise’s honor came at the Governors Awards, the main ceremony on March 2, 2025, had its own share of drama and historic moments, with comedian Conan O’Brien hosting for the first time .
Major Category Winners
Table: 97th Academy Awards Key Winners
| Category | Winner | Film |
|---|---|---|
| Best Picture | Alex Coco, Samantha Quan, Sean Baker | Anora |
| Best Director | Sean Baker | Anora |
| Best Actor | Adrien Brody | The Brutalist |
| Best Actress | Mikey Madison | Anora |
| Best Supporting Actor | Kieran Culkin | A Real Pain |
| Best Supporting Actress | Zoe Saldaña | Emilia Pérez |
| Best Original Screenplay | Sean Baker | Anora |
| Best Adapted Screenplay | Peter Straughan | Conclave |
| Best International Feature | I’m Still Here (Brazil) | |
| Best Animated Feature | Gints Zilbalodis, Matīss Kaža, Ron Dyens, Gregory Zalcman | Flow |
Historic Firsts and Record Breakers
The 2025 Oscars ceremony featured several groundbreaking moments:
- Sean Baker matched a historic achievement by becoming only the second person after Walt Disney (1954) to win four Oscars in one night—for producing, directing, writing, and editing “Anora” .
- Karla Sofía Gascón became the first openly transgender performer nominated for an acting Oscar for her role in “Emilia Pérez” .
- Zoe Saldaña made history as the first Dominican American to win an Oscar with her Supporting Actress victory .
- Paul Tazewell became the first Black man to win Best Costume Design for “Wicked” .
- “No Other Land” became the first Palestinian film to win an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature .
- “Flow” marked the first independently animated film to win Best Animated Feature, and the first Latvian film to win an Oscar .
A Competitive Awards Season
The road to Best Picture was particularly competitive. “Emilia Pérez” initially led with 13 nominations, followed by “The Brutalist” and “Wicked” with 10 each . However, “Anora” gained momentum through key guild awards, ultimately claiming the top prize .
In the acting categories, Adrien Brody won his second Oscar (his first since 2003’s “The Pianist”) for “The Brutalist,” while Mikey Madison claimed Best Actress for her performance in “Anora” . The supporting categories saw Kieran Culkin and Zoe Saldaña triumph for “A Real Pain” and “Emilia Pérez” respectively .
Beyond the Winners: Ceremony Highlights
The Oscars telecast, produced by Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan and directed by Hamish Hamilton, featured several memorable moments . The show drew 19.69 million viewers in the United States, airing on ABC and streaming live on Hulu for the first time .
A diverse group of presenters included previous winners like Robert Downey Jr., Halle Berry, and Da’Vine Joy Randolph, alongside stars from nominated films like Selena Gomez (“Emilia Pérez”) and Lily-Rose Depp (“Nosferatu”) .
In a departure from recent ceremonies, the show did not feature live performances of the Best Original Song nominees, though “Wicked” stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande performed a medley from the hit musical .
Looking Forward: What These Wins Signal for Hollywood
The 97th Academy Awards and Governors Awards together told a story of an industry in transition—one that continues to honor its biggest stars while making space for new voices and perspectives.
Tom Cruise’s honorary Oscar recognized not just his filmography but his dedication to the theatrical experience, particularly his advocacy for movie theaters during and after the pandemic . Meanwhile, the historic wins for international and independently-produced films like “Flow” and “No Other Land” demonstrated the Academy’s increasingly global outlook .
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Tom Cruise ever win an Oscar before 2025?
No. Despite four previous nominations for acting and producing, Cruise had never won a competitive Oscar until receiving his honorary award at the 2025 Governors Awards .
What made the 2025 Oscars historically significant?
The ceremony featured multiple groundbreaking milestones: the first transgender acting nominee (Karla Sofía Gascón), first Dominican American acting winner (Zoe Saldaña), first Black man to win Best Costume Design (Paul Tazewell), first Palestinian documentary winner (“No Other Land”), and first independently animated feature winner (“Flow”) .
How many Oscars did “Anora” win?
Sean Baker’s “Anora” won five Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress (Mikey Madison), Best Original Screenplay, and Best Film Editing .
Who hosted the 97th Academy Awards?
Comedian and former talk show host Conan O’Brien hosted the Oscars for the first time . The ceremony aired live on ABC and streamed on Hulu on March 2, 2025 .
The Takeaway: More Than Just Awards
The 2025 Oscars season reminded us that cinema remains a powerful, evolving art form. From Tom Cruise’s emotional reflection on a lifetime in movies to Sean Baker’s historic wins with “Anora” and the breakthrough of international voices, this year celebrated both Hollywood’s enduring stars and its expanding boundaries.
As Tom Cruise himself perfectly captured it: “No matter where we come from, in that theater, we laugh together, we feel together, we hope together, we dream together. And that is the power of this art form” .
What was your favorite moment from this year’s Oscars? Which of the winning films are you most excited to watch? Join the conversation and share your thoughts on a night that celebrated both cinematic legends and a new generation of storytellers.
