Good morning! Shari Redstone wants to resolve Trump’s CBS lawsuit, Attorney General Pam Bondi released hundreds of pages from Jeffrey Epstein’s file, and Anora wins big at the Academy Awards.
– And the Oscar goes to. The 97th annual Academy Awards were Anora’s night—the film about a sex worker in Brooklyn who meets the scion of a Russian oligarch took home best picture, best director, best original screenplay, best editing, and best actress for its star, Mikey Madison.
The 25-year-old actress emerged victorious in a category that included Cynthia Erivo for Wicked; Brazilian actress Fernanda Torres for I’m Still Here (which picked up a win for best international feature); Karla Sofía Gascón for Emilia Pérez; and Demi Moore for The Substance.
Moore had been the other strong contender to take home the best actress Oscar. Her wins through awards season focused on the longevity of her career—and the fact that, at 62 and despite her box office success as the one-time highest paid woman in Hollywood, this was the first time she’d been seriously considered as an awards-worthy performer by her industry. That wasn’t enough to get her the final award. Madison gave an incredible performance in Anora, embodying Brooklyn and displaying deep respect for the sex worker community, but it’s also true that Oscar voters traditionally love an ingenue. (Although the age of best actress winners has started to rise in the years since the Academy began diversifying its membership.)
Zoe Saldaña earned another big win of the night, taking home the best supporting actress statue for her role in Emilia Pérez. That film’s chances at winning big were stunted after lead actress Gascón, who had been lauded as the first trans person to win in her category at prior awards shows, came under fire for her past racist tweets. Saldaña’s performance outshone that controversy, and she gave a moving speech celebrating her immigrant parents and her Dominican heritage—she said she’s the first American of Dominican descent to win an Academy Award.
Overall, it was a pretty male-dominated night—but some of those male winners made history, too, like Wicked’s Paul Tazewell, who was the first Black man to win for costume design. (The first Black woman to win was Ruth E. Carter for Black Panther in 2019.)
I’ll be adding The Only Girl in the Orchestra to my watchlist; the best documentary short winner about the New York Philharmonic’s first female full-time member is streaming on Netflix.
Emma Hinchliffe
emma.hinchliffe@fortune.com
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ALSO IN THE HEADLINES
- Redstone’s resolution. Shari Redstone, chair of Paramount Global, told her board that she wants to resolve the lawsuit President Donald Trump filed against CBS over its interview with Kamala Harris. Paramount is currently trying to merge with Skydance. New York Times
- Nothing new. Attorney General Pam Bondi released documents from sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s file, but said that much of the information was already public knowledge. Bondi said this was the first phase of releasing files, as part of President Donald Trump’s “commitment to transparency” regarding Epstein. Washington Post
- Pay package. Pharma company GSK could double the salary of CEO Emma Walmsley to £21.6 million ($27.2 million). Wendy Becker, chair of the company’s remuneration committee, wrote that her current pay package “is insufficient either to reward her performance, or to provide the appropriate capacity for succession.” Fortune
- Vying for Versace. Prada owner Miuccia Prada said that multiple fashion brands are interested in buying Versace: “It is on everybody's table.” Prada was given access to Versace’s financials first, though. Reuters
MOVERS AND SHAKERS
Women’s apparel brand J.Jill appointed Mary Ellen Coyne as CEO and president and to the board of directors, succeeding current CEO Claire Spofford after her retirement. Coyne is currently CEO at J.McLaughlin.
Haversine Funding, a financial solutions provider for lenders, appointed Gen Merritt-Parikh as co-CEO. She was most recently the company’s president.
Wedgewood, a compounded veterinary pharmacy, appointed Jessica Knopp-Gwynne as chief revenue officer. Previously, she was general manager of Chewy.
Automaker Stellantis named Kaileen Connelly SVP of North America communications. She was previously the company’s VP of global communications.
LP Building Solutions, a building products company, appointed Kelly Barrett to its board of directors. She was previously SVP of home services of The Home Depot.
ON MY RADAR
A ‘bright spot’ in Washington The Cut
How understanding the menstrual cycle is breaking new ground for women’s soccer Guardian
The most important person (in Japanese food) you’ve never heard of New York Times
PARTING WORDS
“I feel like middle age is underrated. One of my goals with Show Don’t Tell is to celebrate being a woman getting older because our culture so frequently talks about aging as if it’s only bad.”
— Author Curtis Sittenfeld on being in her 40s
