Anora featuring Armenian actors wins big at the Oscars

Anora, which features Armenian actors Karren Karagulian and Vache Tovmasyan, was the big winner at the Oscars, winning five awards including best actress for breakout star Mikey Madison, and a record-breaking four prizes for its director Sean Baker.

The whirlwind drama stars relative newcomer Madison as a New York stripper who falls in love with the son of a wealthy Russian, BBC News reports.

She held off competition from Demi Moore, and described winning the best actress Oscar as a “dream come true”.

Baker became the first person to personally win four Academy Awards for a single film – for directing, editing, writing and producing Anora.

Other winners on the night included Kieran Culkin, Adrien Brody and Zoe Saldaña, while Flow won best animated film and I’m Still Here took home the best international prize.

In her speech, 25-year-old Madison said: “This is very surreal. I grew up in Los Angeles but Hollywood always felt so far away from me, so to be here standing in this room today is really incredible.”

She added: “I want to honor and recognize the sex worker community. I will continue to support and be an ally… the women I’ve had the privilege of meeting from that community has been one of the highlights of this entire incredible experience.”

Baker is the first person to win four Oscars for a single film. Walt Disney did win four prizes in a single night in 1953, but for four different films.