Sean Baker became the first filmmaker to win four Academy Awards for the same movie, achieving victories in directing, producing, writing, and editing for Anora. No director before him had accomplished this in a single night, placing him in a category all his own at the 97th Academy Awards.
Previous filmmakers had come close but fell short of reaching the four-award mark for one film. Francis Ford Coppola won three Oscars in 1974 for The Godfather: Part II, while Alfonso Cuarón and Chloé Zhao each took home two for Roma and Nomadland, respectively. Bong Joon-ho claimed four trophies for Parasite in 2020, but one was awarded to South Korea rather than him directly. Walt Disney won four Oscars in 1954, though for separate projects.
Baker’s success with Anora reflected a broader trend in the Academy recognizing independent filmmakers who take on multiple roles in their projects. Jacques Audiard, the director of Emilia Pérez, was also nominated in four categories this year, but Baker became the one to set a new standard.
During his acceptance speeches, Baker used his platform to advocate for the survival of theatrical filmgoing. “We’re all here tonight and watching this broadcast because we love movies. Where did we fall in love with the movies? At the movie theater watching a film,” he said. “Watching a film in a theater with an audience is an experience. We can laugh together, cry together, scream and fight together, perhaps sit in devastated silence together. And in a time in which the world can feel very divided, this is more important than ever.”
He pointed to the decline of independent theaters and called on the industry to do more to keep them alive. “Movie theaters, especially independently owned theaters, are struggling, and it’s up to us to support them. During the pandemic, we lost nearly 1,000 screens in the US. And we continue to lose them regularly. If we don’t reverse this trend, we’ll be losing a vital part of our culture.”
Baker also urged film distributors to prioritize theatrical releases before moving films to streaming platforms. “Distributors, please focus first and foremost on the theatrical releases of your films,” he said, thanking Neon for backing Anora with that approach. “Parents, introduce your children to feature films in movie theaters, and you’ll be molding the next generation of movie lovers and filmmakers.”
Quentin Tarantino, who presented Baker with the Best Director award, received a special mention in his speech. Baker credited him with giving actress Mikey Madison a breakthrough role in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, which led to her casting in Anora.
The film secured five Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actress for Madison. Baker and his wife, Samantha Quan, became the fourth married couple to win Best Picture together.
His final speech of the night included a dedication to his mother, who introduced him to cinema at an early age. “Today is also her birthday. Happy birthday, Mom. I love you. Thank you for everything. This is for you.”
