The 97th Academy Awards, broadcast Sunday night on ABC, drew a total audience of 18.1 million viewers, down 7 % from last year. This represents the first decline in viewership in four years, following a steady rise in ratings in recent years. In 2021, after the pandemic-related restrictions, the awards had reached a historic low of just 10.4 million viewers. From then on, however, things picked up, with 16.6 million viewers in 2022, 18.8 million in 2023 and 19.5 million in 2024.

Despite the decline, the Oscars remains the most-watched entertainment programme in primetime for the 2024-2025 TV season. Notably, the Oscars scored its highest rating in the last five years with a 3.92 rating among 18 to 49-year-olds and a 3.17 rating among 18 to 34-year-olds. An additional factor affecting viewership was the technical outage of the Hulu livestream, which occurred during the broadcast and affected approximately 34,000 users. These difficulties probably contributed to a slight drop in the total number of viewers. Nevertheless, the premiere of the Oscars on Hulu remains an initial success, as Disney also broadcast the event via the streaming service for the first time this year.

However, there was much to be positive about in the show itself. Conan O'Brien, who hosted the show for the first time, received consistently positive reviews. The evening was dominated by the triumphant screening of "Anora", a film that won five Oscars, including the coveted Best Picture award. "Anora" told the story of a sex worker who marries the spoilt son of a Russian oligarch and won numerous awards, including Best Director, for Sean Baker, who also won Best Original Screenplay and Best Editing. Baker, who is known for his independent films, celebrated an extraordinary success and was honoured as the first director to win four Oscars for the same film. The success of "Anora" is a clear sign of the influence of independent films and small production companies on the Academy Awards, especially at a time when blockbuster franchises dominate the film industry.

Another highlight of the evening was Mikey Madison's award for best actress for her role in "Anora", which was considered a surprise. Madison, who was not a favourite beforehand, dedicated her award to the sex worker community and declared herself "an ally". Best Male Actor went to Adrien Brody for his role in "The Brutalist", celebrating his return after a string of failures and recognising his performance in a profound, emotional drama.

The Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress awards went to Kieran Culkin and Zoe Saldaña. Culkin, who was honoured as Best Supporting Actor for his role in "A Real Pain", caused a stir with a humorous performance when he reminded his wife Jazz Charton of their agreement to have more children after a possible Oscar win. Saldaña, on the other hand, won for her portrayal of a lawyer in "Emilia Pérez" and spoke with tears in her eyes about her pride at being the first American of Dominican origin to win an Oscar.

Another notable event was the award for "I'm Still Here" as best international film. The Brazilian film, which is set during the military dictatorship, won this prestigious award for the country for the first time. In addition, the animated film "Flow", produced in Latvia, was honoured as best animated film, while "No Other Land", a documentary about the expulsion of Palestinians from the West Bank, won the Oscar for best documentary film. The film's director, Basel Adra, made a strong statement and called on the international community to take action against ethnic cleansing in Palestine.

Conan O'Brien's moderation, which was accompanied by humorous remarks about the duration of films and social media, brought a breath of fresh air to the event, which has often been dominated by political statements and commentary in recent years. This year, direct references to Donald Trump were largely absent, with more general comments about the "chaotic times" being made instead. The show also included a tribute to the James Bond franchise, with Halle Berry paying tribute to producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson for their tireless efforts.

In conclusion, the 97th Academy Awards offered a mix of political, artistic and personal moments. The triumph of "Anora" and the outstanding performances of actors such as Mikey Madison and Adrien Brody reflect the current trend of independent and creative films increasingly paving the way for the future of cinema. And while overall audience numbers were down, the event remains one of the most important cultural events of the year, with an ever-growing importance for streaming services and digital platforms.