The Best Picture Race at the 2025 Oscars!

Beginner | June 7, 2025

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The Oscars 2025 Best Picture Race: Looking Back at the Big Night

The Excitement of the 2025 Oscars Ceremony

Let’s talk about the movies that were in the spotlight at the Oscars this year! The 2025 Academy Awards ceremony happened on March 2nd. A big part of the show is always the award for the Best Picture. People love to guess which movie will win this important prize.

A Strong Field of Contenders

This year, ten different movies were nominated for Best Picture. It was a really exciting race because many films were strong contenders. Film fans and critics watched closely to see which one might win the top award.

The Nominated Films at the 2025 Oscars

A Diverse Mix of Nominees

The ten films nominated for Best Picture were: “Anora,” “The Brutalist,” “A Complete Unknown,” “Conclave,” “Dune: Part Two,” “Emilia Pérez,” “I’m Still Here,” “Nickel Boys,” “The Substance,” and “Wicked.” Some of these movies were very popular with many people, and some were more independent films that critics really liked.

Favorites and Front-Runners

Many people thought movies like “Emilia Pérez,” “The Brutalist,” and “Wicked” had a good chance to win. “Emilia Pérez” received the most nominations overall, with 13! “The Brutalist” and “Wicked” also got many nominations, 10 each.

And the Winner Is…

But in the end, the movie “Anora” won the award for Best Picture! “Anora” also won other big awards, like Best Director for Sean Baker. It was a favorite for many after winning prizes from important groups before the Oscars.

Global Recognition and Impact

Other nominated films were also very popular or important. For example, “Dune: Part Two” was a big movie that many people saw in theaters. “I’m Still Here” was a film from Brazil, showing the international reach of the Oscars. “Conclave” also won a big award at the BAFTAs in the UK.

The Best Picture race is always full of predictions and surprises. The 2025 Oscars had many great films competing, and “Anora” was the one that took home the biggest prize of the night.

Vocabulary

Oscars (noun): Another name for the Academy Awards, famous film awards in the United States.
*Example: “Many actors hope to win an Oscar someday.”
Best Picture (noun phrase): The top award given to the best movie of the year at the Oscars.
*Example: “Winning Best Picture is a big honor for a film.”
Predictions (noun): Guesses about what will happen in the future.
*Example: “News articles often make predictions about who will win awards.”
Nominated (verb, past participle): Chosen as a possible winner for an award.
*Example: “Her movie was nominated for Best Picture.”
Contenders (noun): People or things that are competing for something.
*Example: “There were many strong contenders in the race for Best Picture.”
Ceremony (noun): A formal event with special traditions.
*Example: “The awards ceremony was on Sunday night.”
Critics (noun): People who write reviews and give opinions about movies, books, etc.
*Example: “Film critics often have different opinions about a movie.”
Award (noun): A prize given to someone for an achievement.
*Example: “She won an award for her acting.”
Race (noun): A competition to see who can win or be the best.
*Example: “The Best Picture race was very close this year.”
Spotlight (noun): Public attention or notice.
*Example: “These movies were in the spotlight during the awards season.”

Discussion Questions (About the Article)

What is the Best Picture award?
How many movies were nominated for Best Picture at the 2025 Oscars?
Which movie won Best Picture?
Besides “Anora,” which other movies were mentioned as strong contenders?
Why is “I’m Still Here” mentioned as a notable film?

Discussion Questions (About the Topic)

Do you like watching movies that win awards?
What is your favorite movie from the list of nominees?
Why do you think awards like the Oscars are important?
Do you ever try to predict who will win awards?
What kind of movies do you think usually win Best Picture?

Related Idiom

In the spotlight
Meaning: Getting a lot of public attention.
Example: After winning Best Picture, the movie was suddenly “in the spotlight.”

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This article was inspired by: Variety, May 27, 2025