Though it wasn’t the most surprising telecast of recent years, the 2025 Oscars had its fair share of unexpected moments and wins. From triumphs to controversies, there was much for audiences to discuss in the lead-up and night of this year’s ceremony. We used our social listening and analytics solution to see what news, broadcast, and social media discussions worldwide looked like for the 2025 Academy Awards. The following data looks at relevant keyword mentions from the start of the day on March 1, the day before the 2025 Oscars, through midday on March 3, 2025, the day after.
What was the most talked about Best Picture nominee?
Oscar winner: Anora
Digital conversation winner: I’m Still Here
While the indie film Anora was the big Oscar winner of the night, it was only the third most talked about Best Picture nominee. I’m Still Here generated the most mentions as of midday March 3 largely thanks to its win in the Best International Film category, the first ever for a Brazilian movie. Emilia Pérez, the most nominated film of the night, also generated more conversation than the Best Picture winner due to its acclaim as well as controversy surrounding the film’s representation of trans women, its depiction of Mexican culture, and lead actress Karla Sofía Gascón’s offensive social media posts.
As always, the most discussed films were different around the world. Anora was the most talked about Best Picture nominee in Spain, Canada, India, and the US. Wicked was the most talked about nominee in the UK, narrowly beating The Brutalist and Anora. I’m Still Here had the most buzz in Brazil, while Emilia Pérez took the top spot in Mexico, China, and Argentina. Last but not least, Conclave was the most talked about nominee in Australia.
Who was the most talked about Best Actress nominee?
Oscar winner: Mikey Madison
Digital conversation winner: Fernanda Torres
Anora star Mikey Madison won the Best Actress Oscar, but she generated less than half of the mentions that I’m Still Here star Fernanda Torres did overall.
Torres’s large share of voice may surprise film fans based in the US, UK, Australia, Canada, and China, where Madison got the most mentions. Demi Moore was the most talked about nominee in Spain, while Gascón generated the most conversation in Mexico.
Who was the most talked about Best Actor nominee?
Oscar winner: Adrien Brody
Digital conversation winner: Adrien Brody
Adrien Brody won the Best Actor award while generating the most conversation overall and in the top 10 locations we analyzed. This is due to three viral moments: Halle Berry kissing him on the red carpet in a reenactment of their 2003 on-stage kiss, his tossing his used gum to his girlfriend Georgina Chapman before taking the stage to accept his award, and his breaking the world record for giving the longest acceptance speech in Oscars history.
Interestingly, one Best Actor nominee generated significant awards show buzz for a moment that wasn’t part of the telecast.
“Commercial break” was the most used phrase in the conversation surrounding Colman Domingo due to an unprompted dance break he led during his on-stage, off-camera toast to Los Angeles first responders. Attendee and Variety Co-Editor-in-Chief Ramin Setoodeh posted smartphone footage of the moment on X and it quickly went viral.
How big was Adam Sandler’s moment at the Oscars?
Despite not being nominated for any awards, Adam Sandler generated significant discussion due to a skit poking fun at his signature style. Host Conan O’Brien called attention to Sandler dressed in a baggy hoodie, basketball shorts, and sneakers before the actor embraced Chalamet and stormed out of the auditorium. The moment helped Sandler generate nearly 76,400 Oscar-related mentions, more than Best Actor nominees Domingo, Sebastian Stan, or Ralph Fiennes. It also brought some unexpected but welcome attention to Aviator Nation, the brand behind the now nearly sold out hoodie.
Were the 2025 Oscars more or less popular than the 2024 Oscars?
The 2025 Oscars generated about 56% more mentions than the 2024 Oscars did in the days before, of, and after each ceremony.
In India, Canada, China, the US, and the UK, the Oscars were about as popular in 2025 as in 2024. However, the awards got much more attention this year than last year in Brazil thanks to the success of I’m Still Here and in Mexico due to the controversy surrounding the depiction of Mexican culture in Emilia Pérez. Notably, Oscars mentions from Thailand were about 380% higher in 2025 than in 2024 due to Thai pop star Lisa’s red carpet look and on-stage performance during a tribute to James Bond films. On the flip side, the conversation around the Oscars declined from 2024 to 2025 in Japan.
Takeaways for marketers
International entertainment audiences are converging. The Oscars may take place in Hollywood, but its biggest conversations don’t necessarily revolve around the U.S. or English-speaking films. International films have had a bigger presence at the awards in recent years, which has shifted where some of the biggest Oscars conversations are happening. Marketers should keep an eye on how entertainment buzz looks when broken down by region and country to better understand the movies, TV shows, and stars with growing international, cross-cultural appeal.
Get more digital data broken down by country in our 2025 Global Digital Country Reports.
Candid moments take the spotlight. Nothing gets audiences excited like authentic, unscripted moments like Domingo’s commercial dance break and seemingly candid moments like Sandler’s Chalamet embrace. As one highly engaged comment on X expressed regarding the former, these are the moments viewers want to see.
Whenever possible, lean into authentic moments of human connection and away from ultra-choreographed and polished exchanges.
