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Anora took home the top prize at the 2025 Critics Choice Awards, People reported.

On Friday, Feb. 7, writer-director Sean Baker took the stage in Los Angeles to accept the best picture win, beating out fellow nominees A Complete Unknown, The Brutalist, Conclave, Dune: Part Two, Emilia Pérez, Nickel Boys, Sing Sing, The Substance and Wicked.

While accepting the award, Baker expressed his shock at the win, calling it "so unexpected."

"When those who dedicate their lives to their love of film and film criticism and film journalism, when they see something positive in your work, just a little, it means everything in the world," he said. "So thank you guys so much."

Baker continued, "We made this little film — it was $6 million. That's micro-budget these days. We shot on film. We shot in New York City. That all happened because of my incredible cast and crew who roughed it up. We put every dollar up on that screen."

He then said of the independent film community, "We have to go for it to stay on the big screen. And that's what I want to say. We made this film for the big screen. We thank everybody who saw it on the big screen."

Anora stars Mikey Madison as a New York City sex worker whose whirlwind Cinderella story after meeting and marrying Ivan (Mark Eydelshteyn), the young son of a Russian billionaire family, takes a turn for the worse when Ivan's parents find out about the marriage. 

The film cast includes Armenian actors Karren Karagulian and Vache Tovmasyan.

Anora was nominated for seven total awards at the Critics Choice Awards, including nominations for Madison in best actress, Yura Borisov in best supporting actor, the entire cast in best acting ensemble, Baker for best director and best original screenplay and best editing.