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Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Mikey Madison won the 2025 Oscar for Actress in a Leading Role for Anora, even though Demi Moore had won the Golden Globe, SAG Award and Critics’ Choice Award for The Substance. The apparent upset makes sense once those precursor results are separated from the Academy’s own vote: Madison also won BAFTA shortly before Oscar voting ended, and each ceremony had a different electorate.
What happened at the 2025 Oscars?
At the 97th Academy Awards on March 2, 2025, Madison won Actress in a Leading Role for Anora. Moore was nominated in the same category for The Substance. The ceremony honored films released in 2024 and took place at the Dolby Theatre. The Academy’s 2025 ceremony page records the result.
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| 1 |
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The phrase “despite losing three major awards” refers to three earlier lead-actress prizes Moore won: the Golden Globe, the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award and the Critics’ Choice Award. It does not mean she lost three rounds of an Oscar vote; those were separate awards chosen by separate organizations.
Which three awards did Demi Moore win?
| Award | Result in the lead-actress race | What it signaled |
|---|---|---|
| Golden Globes | Moore won for The Substance. | A win among the Globes’ voters; not an Academy result. |
| SAG Awards | Moore won the leading female actor award for The Substance. | A win among SAG voters; not an Academy result. |
| Critics’ Choice Awards | Moore won for The Substance. | A critics’ group result, distinct from the Academy’s vote. |
The Associated Press reported Moore’s Golden Globe and SAG wins, and Netflix Tudum’s SAG results lists the winner and nominees. The Atlantic’s race preview identifies her Critics’ Choice win and describes the Globes, SAG and Critics’ Choice as three of the four major precursor ceremonies, with BAFTA as the other.
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Why the precursor streak did not decide the Oscar
Awards-season wins can indicate support or momentum among the people voting in those contests. They do not function as a cumulative score, and no precursor organization casts votes on behalf of the Academy. The Academy says eligible members vote in the final round by secret ballot, with results tabulated by PwC. Its voting overview explains that process at a general level.
That distinction is the key to the upset: Moore’s three wins established that she had strong support in those contests, but they could not bind Academy voters. The public results do not disclose individual Academy ballots or establish why members chose Madison.
Madison had important wins of her own
BAFTA came shortly before Oscar voting ended
Madison won the BAFTA leading-actress prize over Moore. Its timing made it a notable late signal in the race, but it remained a separate award decided by BAFTA voters—not a preview of Academy ballots.
She also won the Independent Spirit Award
Madison won the Independent Spirit Award for lead performance. That added another major win to her season, though it should not be folded into the specific “three of four major precursors” framing used for the Globes, SAG, Critics’ Choice and BAFTA.
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The Associated Press’s contemporaneous account covers Moore’s precursor wins, Madison’s BAFTA result and her Spirit Award. Read the AP account.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Anora’s wider Oscar success offers context, not proof
Anora won five Oscars, including Best Picture and directing for Sean Baker. That broader success is relevant context for Madison’s win: the film was strongly represented across the ceremony. It does not, by itself, show that voters selected her because of the film’s other wins or establish any individual voter’s motive. ABC’s Oscars results provides a results cross-check.
What can—and cannot—be concluded
- Established: Madison won the Oscar for Anora; Moore was nominated for The Substance.
- Established: Moore won the Golden Globe, SAG and Critics’ Choice lead-actress prizes, while Madison won BAFTA and the Independent Spirit Award.
- Not established: A public Academy vote margin, how individual members voted, or a definitive explanation for Madison’s win.
The AP reported that Anora had a $6 million budget, a production-budget figure cited in its 2025 coverage—not an Academy figure. In her acceptance speech, Madison said, “I want to again recognize the sex worker community. I will continue to support and be an ally.” AP’s report provides that account and quote.
