Anora wins Best Picture at 2025 Critics Choice Awards

Anora took home the top prize at the 2025 Critics Choice Awards, beating out fellow nominees A Complete Unknown, The Brutalist, Conclave, Dune: Part Two, Emilia Pérez, Nickel Boys, Sing Sing, The Substance and Wicked, PEOPLE reports. 

Accepting the Best Picture award, writer-director Sean Baker called the win "so unexpected."

"When those who dedicate their lives to their love of film and film criticism and film journalism, when they see something positive in your work, just a little, it means everything in the world," PEOPLE quoted the filmmaker as saying. "So thank you guys so much."

Baker continued, "We made this little film — it was $6 million. That's micro-budget these days. We shot on film. We shot in New York City. That all happened because of my incredible cast and crew who roughed it up. We put every dollar up on that screen."

Anora stars Mikey Madison as a New York City sex worker whose whirlwind Cinderella story after meeting and marrying Ivan (Mark Eydelshteyn), the young son of a Russian billionaire family, takes a turn for the worse when Ivan's parents find out about the marriage.

Anora was nominated for seven total awards at the Critics Choice Awards, including nominations for Madison in best actress, Yura Borisov in best supporting actor, the entire cast in best acting ensemble, Baker for best director and best original screenplay and best editing, PEOPLE reported.

Anora cast includes Armenian actors Vache Tovmasyan and Karen Karagulyan.

Anora has received six nominations at the upcoming 97th Academy Awards.

The film has received several accolades, including the Palme d'Or.