Anora stars in shock as $6million independent film beats blockbusters to 2025 Critics Choice Best Picture win

Anora director Sean Baker was stunned to see his independent film beat out massive blockbusters for the coveted Best Picture award at the 2025 Critics Choice Awards. The film beat out Wicked, The Substance, A Complete Unknown, Dune: Part Two, Emilia Pérez, Nickel Boys, Conclave, The Brutalist, and Sing Sing for the night's biggest honor. While Wicked was shot on a reported $145 million budget and Dune: Part Two on a reported $190M, Anora was made on just a fraction of it's most costly competitors at just $6M.

An incredulous Baker, 53, accepted the award with his Anora team, including star Mikey Madison, 25, and said they scraped by to make the film. Baker said the film was shot on a 'micro budget' of $6 million and was made possible by a team who 'roughed it up' for the sake of their 'little film.'. 'So unexpected,' Baker began. 'So unexpected. Thank you. Critics' Choice, thank you so much. When those who dedicate their lives to their love of film and film criticism and film journalism, they see something positive in your work, it means everything in the world.

Anora director Sean Baker was stunned to see his independent film beat out massive blockbusters for the coveted Best Picture award at the 2025 Critics' Choice Awards. 'Thank you guys so, so much. We made this little film. It was $6 million. That's micro budget these days. We shot on film. We shot in New York City. And that all happened because of my incredible cast and crew who roughed it up and we put every dollar up on that screen.

'And it's because, you know, independent film, we have to go for it. We have to go for it to stay on the big screen. And that's what I want to say. We made this film for the big screen. We thank everybody who saw it on the big screen. We want to thank Neon because they supported our theatrical run, a long theatrical window. 'And we have to think about the theaters. That's where we all fell in love with the movies, at the movie theater. They're going through hard times.

'We lost a thousand theaters during COVID. We lose them almost daily. There's where we love to see films. Let's see films in our local theaters.'. The verité-style comedy stars Mikey Madison as an adult dancer who impetuously marries the son of a Russian oligarch, only to have his handlers go to shocking ends to annul the marriage. Anora fans rejoiced in the victory on X, with one writing: 'ANORA BEST PICTURE OSCAR NEXT IDGAF,' along with a video of Oprah Winfrey running across coals with the encouragement of Tony Robbins.

'Anora randomly winning best picture,' another posted with a video of Beyonce looking shocked following her Grammy win. Anora beat out nominees Wicked, The Substance, A Complete Unknown, Dune: Part Two, Emilia Pérez, Nickel Boys, Conclave, The Brutalist, and Sing Sing for the night's biggest honor. Baker said the film was made on a meager $6M budget - a fraction of what Wicked and Dune Part: Two were shot on.

He was joined on stage by Anora star Mike Madison, among others. MOVIES. BEST PICTURE: Anora. BEST ACTOR: Adrien Brody — The Brutalist. BEST ACTRESS: Demi Moore — The Substance. BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Kieran Culkin — A Real Pain. BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Zoe Saldaña — Emilia Pérez. BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS: Maisy Stella — My Old Ass. BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE: Conclave — WINNER. BEST DIRECTOR: Jon M. Chu — Wicked.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Coralie Fargeat — The Substance. BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Peter Straughan — Conclave. BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Jarin Blaschke — Nosferatu. BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN: Nathan Crowley, Lee Sandales — Wicked. BEST EDITING: Marco Costa — Challengers. BEST COSTUME DESIGN: Paul Tazewell — Wicked. BEST HAIR AND MAKEUP: The Substance. BEST VISUAL EFFECTS: Paul Lambert, Stephen James, Rhys Salcombe, Gerd Nefzer — Dune: Part Two.

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE: The Wild Robot. BEST COMEDY: A Real Pain and Deadpool & Wolverine (TIE). BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: Emilia Pérez. BEST SONG: “El Mal” – Emilia Pérez — Zoe Saldaña, Karla Sofía Gascón, Camille. BEST SCORE: Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross — Challengers. TELEVISION. BEST DRAMA SERIES: Shōgun. BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES: Hiroyuki Sanada — Shōgun. BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES: Kathy Bates — Matlock.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES: Tadanobu Asano — Shōgun. BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES: Moeka Hoshi — Shōgun. BEST COMEDY SERIES: Hacks. BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES: Adam Brody — Nobody Wants This. BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES: Jean Smart — Hacks. BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES: Michael Urie — Shrinking. BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES: Hannah Einbinder – Hacks.