The 2025 Academy Award nominations were announced earlier this year, and movie enthusiasts have been eagerly waiting to find out who will walk away with the iconic golden statue. There are many first-time nominees and strong contenders this year, with several breaking records this awards season.
Now that the day of the highly anticipated ceremony has finally arrived, let’s find out which stars, both on camera and behind the scenes, have won their first Oscar:
1. Mikey Madison
- Category: Best Actress
- Movie: “Anora”
- Fun fact: At 25, Mikey Madison is now one of the youngest actors in history to have won an Oscar in this category
- Acceptance speech: “To be standing in this room is really incredible. I want to recognise and honour the sex worker community. I will continue to support and be an ally. I also just want to recognize the thoughtful, intelligent, beautiful, breathtaking work of my fellow nominees. I’m honored to be recognized alongside all of you. This is a dream come true.”
2. Zoe Saldaña
- Category: Best Supporting Actress
- Movie: “Emilia Perez”
- Fun fact: Zoe Saldaña is the first Dominican and Puerto Rican descent actress to win an Academy Award
- Acceptance speech: “Thank you to the Academy. I am a proud child of immigrant parents with dreams and dignity and hard-working hands. I am the first American of Dominican origin to accept an Academy Award. And I know I will not be the last.”
3. Kieran Culkin
- Category: Best Supporting Actor
- Movie: “A Real Pain”
- Fun fact: Kieran Culkin won acting awards for mostly his TV work, with “A Real Pain” being the second film for which he has won an award after “Igby Goes Down” in 2003.
- Acceptance speech: “About a year ago, [my wife] told me that she will give me a 4th kid if I won an Oscar. Okay, then I just have this to say to you, Jazz, love of my life, No pressure. I love you. I’m really sorry I did this again, and let’s get cracking on those kids. What do you say?”
4. Sean Baker
- Categories: Best Director, Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing
- Movie: “Anora”
- Fun fact: Sean Baker sets a new record for being the first person to win four Oscars for one film—the most wins in a single night in Academy history. The previous record was held by Walt Disney with four wins.
- Acceptance speech (Best Director): “We are all here tonight because we love movies. Where did we fall in love with movies? At the movie theater. In a time in which our world can feel very divided, this is more important than ever: It’s a communal experience you simply don’t get at home”.
- Acceptance speech #2 (Best Picture): “I want to thank the Academy for recognizing a truly independent film. This film was made on the blood, sweat and tears of incredible indie artists, and long live independent film!”
5. Paul Tazewell
- Category: Best Costume
- Movie: “Wicked”
- Fun fact: Paul Tazewell made history as the first-ever black man to win an Oscar in the Best Costume category
- Acceptance speech: “I’m the first black man to receive the costume design award. I’m so proud of this. My Ozian muses, Cynthia and Ariana, I love you so much. Thank you everyone for everything. This is everything!”
Honorable Mentions
While these awards were not won by specific individuals, we believe they should at least be mentioned for being the first in Academy history. The honorable mentions include:
- “I’m Still Here” – The first Brazilian film to win an Oscar in the Best International Feature category
- “Flow” – The first Latvia animated film to be nominated and won an Oscar for Best Animated Feature
- “In the Shadow of the Cypress” – The first Iranian animated short film to be nominated and won an Oscar for Best Animated Short Film
