Oscars 2025: Was Anora Star Shocked She Beat Demi Moore for Best Actress? Mikey Madison Looked Stunned

Mikey Madison looked stunned as she won Best Actress at Oscars 2025, beating frontrunner Demi Moore in a surprise victory for her performance in Anora.

Written by Seema Sinha , Entertainment Journalist

Updated on Mar 03, 2025 | 11:22 AM IST | 13.5K

Mikey Madison (L) Demi Moore (R) (Getty Images)

Mikey Madison is the 2025 Best Actress Academy Award winner. The 25-year-old Anora star bested Demi Moore (The Substance), Cynthia Erivo (Wicked), Sofia Karla Gascon (Emilia Perez), and Fernanda Torres (I’m Still Here) to take home the gold.

During the Sunday, March 2, ceremony, Madison appeared stunned as she nabbed her first-ever Oscar in a surprising win over frontrunner Moore. After taking the stage at the Dolby Theatre and accepting her statuette from last year’s category winner, Emma Stone, Madison began her emotional speech, reflecting on the surreal experience of growing up in Los Angeles yet always feeling that Hollywood was out of reach. “So to be here standing in this room today is really incredible,” she said.

She went on to acknowledge her team, her family in attendance, the sex worker community, and her fellow nominees.

“This is a dream come true. I’m probably gonna wake up tomorrow,” Madison added, referencing how her achievement will take time to sink in, before thanking her Anora director, Sean Baker. “I adore you. This is all because of you.”

Madison leads the writer-director’s venture in the titular role, a sex worker experiencing a whirlwind fairytale story. The breakthrough star earned nods at multiple precursor ceremonies, eventually winning at this year’s BAFTA Awards.

Recently speaking to People about her career trajectory since the critically acclaimed film, Madison said she has “definitely” been getting exciting offers since the flick debuted last year, with some opportunities being particularly exciting.

Madison’s stunned reaction to receiving the Best Actress award on Sunday aligned with the thoughts voiced by netizens on X. Many opined that Moore’s performance was more groundbreaking and, given that she is in the latter stages of her career, she was the more deserving candidate for the prize this year, as opposed to Madison, who is just starting out and has much more to show in the future.

But hey, we believe an Academy Award is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for any entertainer, and Madison should not be criticized for being named a winner.