Mikey Madison wins the Oscar for Best Actress in the night's most contested race

Mikey Madison has won her first Oscar. At just 25 years old, her work in "Anora" has been acclaimed from all corners of the entertainment industry, inspiring a love of independent filmmaking and pushing a young career in exciting directions. Through this past awards season, Madison took home the Film Independent Spirit Award, the BAFTA, and more recognitions.

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Madison said 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, um, really incredible. Thank you Neon, FilmNation, Universal. Thank you to my incredible family, my mom, my dad, and my sister, my little brother, and my twin brother Miles. Thank you for being my best friend, not that you have a choice." 

"I also just want to again recognize and honor the sex worker community. I will, yes, I will continue to support and be an ally. All of the incredible people, the women, that I've had the privilege of meeting from that community has been one of the highlights of this incredible, of this entire incredible experience," she continued.  

Following her win, Anora took home the coveted award for Best Picture. 

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Despite all of this, Madison kept closely behind, with her BAFTA and Independent Spirit Award wins prompting a shift in the conversation. Many Academy voters considered "Anora" a more traditional film and in the style of what the voting body usually votes for. 

Madison also had some precedent behind her, with Academy voters having a soft spot for films that feature likable and charming sex workers, like Julia Roberts in "Pretty Woman" and Jane Fonda in "Klute." "Anora" was also considered one of the biggest films of the night, having six Academy Award nominations, including major categories like Best Actress, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, Best Picture, Best Film Editing, and Best Original Screenplay. The film won every category it was nominated for but Best Supporting Actor. 

At the end of the day, the Oscars can always surprise us. One thing is for sure: the future of cinema is in great hands. 

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