Bronwen K. Bradshaw, Arts & Entertainment Editor

(Images From, People (Left), InStyle (Right) ) 

Mikey Madison, star of the Oscar-winning movie Anora, was awarded Best Actress in a Leading Role at the Oscars this year for portraying the title character. Madison, age 25, is the ninth-youngest person to win the Oscar for the category, beating out her competitors for the award. However, Madison’s win resulted in many reactions from those viewing the Oscars. The other nominees in the category were Fernanda Torres for I’m Still Here, Karla Sofia Gascon for Emilia Perez, Cynthia Erivo for Wicked, and Demi Moore for The Substance.  

However, though Anora swept the Oscars, winning awards such as Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Editing, and Best Director, Madison’s win has been up for debate amongst viewers.  This is not to suggest that Anora is a bad film, but viewers believe that the Oscars have an innate bias towards certain films or reflect what audiences deem wrong with Hollywood.  

Numerous people shared their disappointment with Demi Moore not winning the Oscar for The Substance, many saying she was “robbed” or proved the point of her film’s subject matter: an older actress pushed out of the industry and replaced by a newer, younger counterpart. Due to The Substance’s plot, many people paralleled the loss to the film. People also made a similar comparison at the 2024 Oscars Awards when the film Barbie was nominated. Barbie’s director, Greta Gerwig, and leading actress Margot Robbie were snubbed for their roles in the film, though Ryan Gosling was nominated for Best Supporting Actor.  

Moore gave an impeccable performance in the film, with audiences loving her authentic and emotional portrayal of Elisabeth Sparkle. Moore ran well throughout the award circuit, winning the Golden Globe, Critics’ Choice Award, and Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actress. These awards suggested Moore as the front-runner for the Oscar.  

The Oscars have a long history of aversion to thriller-horror films, which might explain Moore’s failure to win despite the film’s critical and audience acclaim. The last time an actress won the Oscar for Best Actress was Jodi Foster, in Silence of the Lambs (1992), almost 33 years ago.  

Though many viewers were disappointed that Moore did not win the category, others have come to Madison’s defense. Anora is a strong film with an in-depth narrative on the complexities of living life as a stripper and the emotional turmoil the main character, Anora, goes through when her marriage to a Russian oligarch’s son goes up in flames. Madison gave a spectacular performance and is regarded as a great actress with lots of potential for the future. However, there is a trending theme of the Oscars to give the award for Best Actress to a woman who appears nude in the film they are nominated for. Emma Stone won Best Actress for her role in Poor Things at the 2024 Oscars, in which she appeared nude. According to the Daily Bruin,  “these victories reveal a profound disparity between how the Academy responds to actors and actresses in sexual roles – an inequity that harms performers of all genders.”   

The sexual exploration of young actresses in dramatic roles often makes them contenders for Best Actress at the Oscars. The winners for Best Actress at the Oscars in the past two years reflect Hollywood’s obscure fascination with the sexual proclivity of young female actresses.  

In conclusion, while Madison’s win was understood and highly praised, it reopens the debate on the Oscars and Hollywood’s preference for young, provocative roles. The industry must hone its longstanding traditions by awarding those who fit its narrative and open a dialogue on the necessary discussion of what Hollywood values as Oscar-worthy. Award season must acknowledge their biases and regard Actors and Actresses of all ages as potential winners so that life does not reflect the art presented.