At the 97th Academy Awards, Jewish actors Adrien Brody and Mikey Madison won Oscars for Best Actor and Best Actress. It was only the second time in the Academy’s history that Jews took both awards; at the 59th Academy Awards in 1987, Paul Newman won for “The Color of Money” and Marlee Matlin won for “Children of a Lesser God.”
Brody won Best Actor for the role of László Tóth in “The Brutalist,” playing a Hungarian-Jewish Holocaust survivor rebuilding his life in the United States after World War II. It is Brody’s second Academy Award, having won Best Actor for the 2002 film “The Pianist,” where he played Holocaust survivor and composer Władysław Szpilman.
Near the end of his nearly six-minute acceptance speech, Brody remarked about how antisemitism affected the characters of his two Oscar-winning roles.
“I stand here once again to represent the lingering traumas and repercussions of war, systematic oppression, antisemitism, racism, and the act of othering,” Brody said. Talking to the press after the awards, he elaborated on this thought, saying, “I am oddly receiving recognition for representing a time in history that we witness unchecked antisemitism and that hatred and oppression have no place in this world.”
“I stand here once again to represent the lingering traumas and repercussions of war, systematic oppression, antisemitism, racism, and the act of othering,” – Adrien Brody
Jewish actress and Los Angeles-native Madison won Best Actress for the titular role in the film “Anora.” She plays a Russian stripper in the heavily-Jewish Brooklyn neighborhood of Brighton Beach.
Actor Kieran Culkin won Best Supporting Actor for his role in “A Real Pain.” Culkin plays a
Jewish character, Benji Kaplan, who along with his cousin ( played by Jesse Eisenberg) navigate
their identities during a Holocaust history tour in Poland. Part of the film is shot on location at the
Majdanek concentration camp, which was Culkin’s first time ever at a Holocaust site. Culkin’s co-star, Jesse Eisenberg, wrote and directed the film and was nominated for Best Screenplay.
Jewish musician Daniel Blumberg, formerly of the indie rock band Yuck, won his first Oscar, for Best Original Score for “The Brutalist.”
Two other nominated films with Jewish-related subjects did not win any awards. “September 5,” about ABC’s coverage of the 1972 Munich Massacre was nominated for Best Original Screenplay, but lost to “Anora.” The Bob Dylan biopic, “A Complete Unknown,” received eight nominations including Best Picture and Best Actor (Timothée Chalamet), but won none.
Jewish songwriter Diane Warren received her 16th nomination for Best Song for “The Journey” from “The Six Triple Eight.” It was her eighth consecutive loss. “I’m consistent as f—-,” Warren told Variety after the ceremony. Warren’s only win was an honorary award at the 95th Academy Awards in 2023.
NO OTHER LAND
The Oscar for Best Documentary Feature went to “No Other Land,” a 95-minute film critical of Israeli policies in the West Bank. Palestinian lawyer and activist Basel Adra accepted the award first.
“‘No Other Land’ reflects the harsh reality we endure and the need for action to stop what we see as ethnic cleansing.”
Yuval Abraham, an Israeli journalist and co-director, spoke next.
“The atrocious destruction of Gaza and its people must end,” he said. “The Israeli hostages, brutally taken in the crime of Oct. 7, must be freed. When I look at Basel, I see my brother. But we are unequal. We live in a regime where I am free under civilian law, while Basel is under military laws that destroy his life — laws he cannot control.”
Creative Community for Peace (CCFP), a nonprofit that for the past 14 years has been Israel’s top advocate in the entertainment industry, responded to the filmmakers’ speeches and the Academy’s awarding “No Other Land” an Oscar.
“Throughout ‘No Other Land,’ Palestinians in Masafer Yatta and the West Bank are presented as victims of Israeli aggression,” CCFP said in a thread on X the day after the ceremony. “While it is true that many Palestinians have suffered in the conflict, the film neglects to mention the many instances of Palestinian violence against Israelis. The contrast between Adra’s hardships and Abraham’s ‘freedom and security’ as an Israeli ignores the decades of relentless terror campaigns that have targeted Israeli civilians. While shedding light on Palestinian struggles is important, presenting a one-sided, inaccurate narrative demonizes Israelis and overlooks the rationale behind Israel’s security policies in the West Bank.”
“Can’t you see that we are intertwined? That my people can be truly safe if Basel’s people are truly free and safe?
There is another way. It’s not too late for life, for the living.” – Co-Director Yuval AbrahamIn an ideal world, the above statement would hold true.
However,…
— Creative Community for Peace (@CCFPeace) March 3, 2025
SYMBOLS AND STATEMENTS
As with last year’s Oscars, political statements about the Israel-Hamas war were visible on the red carpet.
Artists4Ceasefire (A4CF), a group of 550 Hollywood figures advocating for “an immediate and permanent ceasefire, full hostage release, and humanitarian aid in Gaza,” promoted a red-hand pin as a symbol of their cause. The pin was also worn at the Independent Spirit Awards in February.
The Brigade, a Hollywood-based pro-Israel advocacy group, denounced the pin ahead of the ceremony.
“Have you no shame?” The Brigade wrote in an open letter to A4CF. “That pin is no symbol of peace. It is the emblem of Jewish bloodshed.” The group cited a 2000 lynching in Ramallah where Palestinian terrorists murdered two Israelis and displayed their bloodied hands to a cheering crowd.
The Brigade, a group of over 700 Hollywood figures, formed in response to the Oct. 7 attacks and has worked behind the scenes to combat antisemitism in the entertainment industry. Their members do not publicly identify themselves. Following the news of their Feb. 24 letter to Artists4Ceasefire, a member of The Brigade spoke with the Journal under the condition of anonymity.
“One of the reasons The Brigade is so effective is it’s not a traditional Hollywood-based advocacy group,” The Brigade member told The Journal. “We work in the spirit of The Palmach and Kibbutzniks.” The Brigade would not provide comment following the 2025 Academy Awards ceremony.
Actor Guy Pearce, who was nominated for his supporting role in “The Brutalist,” wore a white dove pin on his tuxedo that read “Free Palestine.” Israeli actor Mark Ivanir, who co-starred in the Oscar-nominated film “Emilia Pérez,” appeared to be wearing an orange pocket square in his blue tuxedo. It may be a nod to the three members of the Bibas family who were murdered by Hamas. People around the world wore orange to create awareness of their heinous killing.
Although Israeli actress and presenter Gal Gadot did wear a yellow ribbon in support of the hostages still being held captive by Hamas, her husband, Jaron Varsano, appeared to be wearing a silver version of the pin. Gadot co-presented the Best Visual Effects Oscar alongside actress Rachel Zegler. The two are set to star in Disney’s upcoming live-action “Snow White.” Zegler has publicly called to “Free Palestine” on social media since at least 2021. In Oct. 2024, in a cover story in Variety, Zegler said “We’re nearing one year since the horrendous attacks in Israel on Oct. 7, but I’ve been following this conflict for so many years. Like so many people, I’m so heartbroken by the loss of life that we’re seeing with these insane death tolls coming out of both regions.”
Jewish actors Andrew Garfield and Goldie Hawn presented Best Animated Feature and Best Animated Short Film. Hawn was brought to tears when Garfield told her on screen how much she meant to his mother Lynn, who died in 2019 from pancreatic cancer. Other Jewish presenters included actress Scarlett Johansson presenting Best Makeup and Hairstyling with June Squibb; actor Ben Stiller presenting Best Production Design; actor Miles Teller presenting Best Sound alongside Miley Cyrus; and actor Billy Crystal presenting Best Picture alongside Meg Ryan. Director Quentin Tarantino, who resides part-time in Tel Aviv, presented Best Director. Jewish singer Doja Cat performed the song “Diamonds Are Forever” as part of a James Bond franchise tribute.
The ceremony’s In Memoriam tribute featured several notable Jewish industry figures including songwriter Richard M. Sherman (“Mary Poppins,” “The Jungle Book”), producer Jon Landau (“Avatar,” “Titanic”), producer Albert S. Ruddy (“The Godfather,” “Million Dollar Baby”), screenwriter David Seidler (“The King’s Speech,”), and director and writer Charles Shyer (“Father of the Bride”)
One of the night’s biggest laughs came when host Conan O’Brien praised the crowd’s formal attire — then spotted Adam Sandler in a hoodie and shorts.
