Oscar Experts: Mikey Madison (‘Anora’) is new frontrunner to win Best Actress

The 2025 Oscars race for Best Actress is heating up, with Expert pundits now giving the early edge to Mikey Madison from writer-director Sean Baker‘s dramedy “Anora.” She plays the title role (Ani for short), a young sex worker from Brooklyn who impulsively marries a man named Vanya (Mark Eydelshteyn), the son of a Russian oligarch. Once the news reaches Russia, her fairytale is threatened as Vanya’s parents set out for New York to get the marriage annulled.

“Anora” was launched into serious awards contention following its Palm d’Or win at the 77th Cannes Film Festival. It is the first American film to pull off a victory there since “The Tree of Life” in 2011. Madison, who is known for roles in “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” (2019) and “Scream” (2022), currently stars in the Apple TV+ limited series “Lady in the Lake” with Natalie Portman.

SEE Palme d’Or winner ‘Anora’ gets heart-pumping new trailer [Watch]

While none of Gold Derby’s experts have put Madison in top position yet, her high placement among all prognosticators gives her early odds to win over other top contenders Amy Adams (“Nightbitch”), Karla Sofia Gascon (“Emilia Perez”), Saoirse Ronan (“Blitz”) and Lady Gaga (“Joker: Folie à Deux”). Critics have hailed Madison’s “brassy performance” with a “bleeding edge” and score the film 96% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

“Madison is effortlessly magnetic, oozing confidence in the way she does a balancing act of desperation, feistiness, and vulnerability amidst the screwball and thriller-like tension that shifts ‘Anora’ into a place of cinematic appraisal,” says InSession Film’s Hector A. Gonzalez. Jean-Pierre García (EscribiendoCine) notes, “Mikey Madison gives her character first-class energy and determination and goes far beyond the common boundaries of arthouse cinema.” And Zhuo-Ning Su (Awards Daily) writes, “Written and directed with an infectious, propulsive energy and featuring a star-making performance by Mikey Madison, it’s one wild joyride you don’t want to miss.”

In addition to Madison contending for Best Actress, “Anora” currently ranks sixth for Best Picture, third for Best Director (Baker) and first for Best Original Screenplay (Baker). “Anora” is scheduled to be released on October 18, 2024, by Neon.

PREDICT the 2025 Oscar nominations through January 17