The 2025 Oscars were a historic day in the film community – or did the Academy just want us to think that? Many records were broken and this year’s ceremony really did feel like a celebration of individuality and diversity, right? However, a week after the ceremony, one question remains: were the 2025 Oscars truly a step towards progress or just another superficial attempt at appearing inclusive, with no true change to our structure?
Yes, Brazil’s “I’m Still Here” won best International Feature, and yes, Zoe Saldaña became the first Dominican-American actress to win an Oscar. These were completely deserved, but felt more like carefully picked tokens, rather than signs of real progress. It seems like the Academy hands out just enough awards to minority groups to create a facade of change, while simultaneously making sure that the major categories still lie in the hands of long-lasting biases.
“Anora’s” dominance at the Oscars exposes where the Academy’s comfort lies. “Anora” is an indie movie about a marginalized community: diversity through the lens of a White director. While the Academy pats itself on the back for this, there is still a refusal to actually lift up films that are made by people within those communities highlighted.
While we look back at previous Oscar ceremonies, it’s easy to notice a pattern. Just enough noise is made about progress to keep the conversation going, but rarely is there any lasting differences.
In 2020, “Parasite” became the first non-English-language film to win Best Picture. This felt like an optimistic breakthrough at the time, but there was never any permanent shift. In 2024, the Academy returned to old habits. Despite directing the literal cultural phenomenon that was “Barbie”, Greta Gerwig was snubbed with Best Director. Enough diversity to make headlines, but keeping the biggest awards in similar hands.
If the Oscars really want to prove that they are evolving they need to do more than sprinkle in a few historic wins. This means dismantling the systemic favoritism ingrained in award ceremony culture, the thing that keeps diverse creators out of the spotlight, and in the margins.
That means giving female directors the same recognition as their male counterparts. That means rewarding Global South films in major categories, not just International Feature. That means breaking free from the “palatable” diversity that allows Hollywood to appear inclusive and forward-thinking, while staying comfortably the same.
Until then, the Oscars remain what they’ve always been: a glittery illusion of change and progression that hides an industry of closed doors. If the Academy was really committed to growth, we would not still be celebrating “firsts” in 2025.
