Another year, another round of long overdue firsts at The Academy.
The 2025 Oscars took place on Sunday March 2 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Hollywood’s most prestigious night, the Academy Awards honour and celebrate cinematic excellence across all categories.
Sean Baker became the first director to win four Oscars in one night, Mikey Madison and Kieran Culkin took home their first golden statues, and Zoe Saldaña—despite starring in some of the highest-grossing films of all time—finally got her long-overdue Academy recognition. The night was filled with speeches about progress, representation, and long-overdue change, yet, Hollywood’s patterns of celebrating these “firsts” feels like an easy way to appear progressive rather than a sign of true evolution.
The Academy Awards have long been criticized for their lack of diversity, slow recognition of talent from marginalized communities, and performative attempts at inclusivity that ultimately fail. A notable example is the 2019 win for Green Book as Best Picture—a film about race relations that was widely criticized for its “white saviour” narrative. Many saw its win as the Academy patting itself on the back for engaging with racial issues without actually uplifting Black filmmakers or stories told from their perspective.
While this year’s winners mark real milestones, they also serve as reminders of just how long it has taken for barriers to be broken.
Sean Baker’s historic four-win sweep, including Best Director and Best Picture, is undeniably a landmark moment for independent filmmaking, but also because of the content his film portrays. For years, the Academy has favoured traditional studio-backed projects, but Baker’s success signals a growing recognition of indie films that tell stories often ignored by Hollywood.
Anora, the film that secured his wins, follows the life of a sex worker, reflecting Baker’s long-standing commitment to portraying marginalized communities—from immigrants in The Florida Project to adult entertainers in his film Red Rocket. Hopefully, Baker’s wins will pave the way for more independent filmmakers who spotlight underrepresented voices and unconventional narratives to receive the recognition they deserve.
READ MORE: Sean Baker’s ‘Anora’: A dizzying, jaw droppingly good time
Then there are the actors. Mikey Madison, a lesser-known but immensely talented actress, took home her first Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role. While she’s not the youngest winner in this category, her win defies the Academy’s long-standing tradition of awarding actors only after they’ve paid their dues. Madison’s win may finally mean the Oscars are ready to embrace fresh faces earlier in their careers rather than requiring decades of work for recognition.
However, Zoe Saldaña’s first win, Best Actress in a ing Role for Emilia Perez, is a stark reminder of the Academy’s slow embrace of actors of colour. Having starred in billion-dollar franchises—Avatar, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Star Trek—her long-overdue recognition reiterates the reality that actors of colour often have to build extensive resumes over decades before receiving industry validation.
Beyond these high-profile wins, the night was full of historic moments that will undoubtedly be ed—but the question remains to be seen if they’ll lead to sustained change.
Karla Sofía Gascón became the first openly transgender actor nominated for an Oscar in an acting category for Emilia Pérez, a milestone that not only highlights her personal achievement but also signals potential progress for trans representation in Hollywood—despite her current controversy.
No Other Land became the first Oscar-winning film by Palestinian filmmakers. The film, made by a Palestinian-Israeli collective depicts the connection forged between Palestinian activist Basel, and Israeli journalist Yuval.
In addition to this night of long overdue firsts, Paul Tazewell’s win for Wicked made him the first Black man to take home Best Costume Design.
While these wins are undoubtedly meaningful, they expose a familiar pattern. Hollywood and the Academy often celebrate these “firsts” as evidence of progress, yet these milestones come decades late.
The Oscars are undeniably evolving, albeit at a glacial pace. Younger generations, who are more critical of performative activism, demand authenticity in representation. Streaming services and independent studios are pushing boundaries and amplifying diverse voices, often outpacing the Academy in recognizing talent.
However, for every step forward, the Academy risks backsliding into its old ways. Progress isn’t about celebrating a single year of “firsts”—it’s about ensuring the need to highlight these moments eventually disappears because diverse representation is no longer the exception but the standard.
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