Mikey Madison won Best Actress for 'Anora' at the 2025 Oscars, beating Cynthia Erivo, Karla Sofía Gascón, Demi Moore and Fernanda Torres. Madison shared how "cleaning up after her dogs" will help her process the surprising victory.

Anora star Mikey Madison took home the best actress award at the 2025 Oscars, beating out Demi Moore who many presumed would win for her role in The Substance.

Hollywood veteran Demi Moore of “The Substance” had been the Oscar front-runner, having won over Madison at the Golden Globes and SAG Awards. However, Madison beat out Moore for the BAFTA two days before Oscar voting ended, as well as at last weekend’s Independent Spirit Awards.

Mikey Madison claimed her first Academy Award on Sunday, winning best actress for her role as a sex worker who marries the son of a Russian oligarch in the drama "Anora."

Madison triumphed over Demi Moore for the Best Picture-winning drama "Anora," while Kieran Culkin, Zoe Saldaña, and Adrien Brody gave emotional speeches at the show.

Madison, who is also known for her work in the FX series “ Better Things ,” wins the best actress Oscar over Demi Moore in “The Substance,” Fernanda Torres in “I’m Still Here,” Cynthia Erivo in “Wicked” and “Karla Sofía Gascón in “Emilia Pérez.”

In the end, this year’s Oscars ceremony was (almost) all about Anora.

Mikey Madison, 25, shocked the audience by becoming one of the youngest best actress winners in Academy history, over presumed front-runner Demi Moore.

Since then, Madison wowed horror fans with her role in Scream V, catching the eye of acclaimed indie auteur Sean Baker. The Florida Project director reached out to her about his next project, which followed a Brooklyn sex worker named Anora through a tumultuous marriage with a young Russian heir.

Demi Moore was the odds-on favorite, but the 25-year-old claimed the Academy Award in the night’s biggest surprise.