Mikey Madison wins best actress Oscar for 'Anora'

The 25-year-old star beat out Demi Moore, Brazilian actress Fernanda Torres, Cynthia Erivo of "Wicked" and "Emilia Perez" star Karla Sofia Gascon for the prize

Mikey Madison wins the Oscar for Best Actress for "Anora" during the Oscars show at the 97th Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, US, Mar 2, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

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."

The 25-year-old beat "The Substance" actor Demi Moore, Brazilian actress Fernanda Torres, Cynthia Erivo of "Wicked" and "Emilia Perez" star Karla Sofia Gascon.

In "Anora," Madison played an exotic dancer named Ani who gets married on a whim to Ivan, a member of a wealthy Russian family. Ivan's family does not respond well to the marriage.

Madison grew up in the San Fernando Valley near Los Angeles. At 16, she landed a role on FX television series "Better Things." She also had a small part in Quentin Tarantino's "Once Upon a Time ...in Hollywood" and starred in "Scream V".

Her "Anora" role also earned Madison best actress honours at the Independent Spirit Awards and Britain's BAFTAs.