Jacques Audiard’s “Emilia Perez” will not be going home empty-handed. Despite the recent controversy that has surrounded the movie and one of its stars, Karla Sofia Gascón, the Cesar Awards and European Film Awards Best Film winner has an Oscar to add to its coffers. “El Mal,” written by Clément Ducol and Camille with lyrics by Clément Ducol, Camille, and Jacques Audiard, took the 2025 Best Original Song Oscar.
This is Audiard’s first Academy Award win.
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“Emilia Perez’s” journey started like a fairy tale following its world premiere at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. The movie’s stars shared the Best Actress award at the festival, and Netflix acquired the film for the U.S. and several other territories. Despite mixed to positive reviews, it found a group of hardcore fans (especially in Europe) who adored it. The movie ended up earning 13 Academy Awards nominations, more than any other nominated film. Then, the wheels started to fall off. There was unexpected controversy over old tweets Gascón, and the movie faced massive backlash in Mexico, where it was set but wasn’t filmed.

“El Mal” previously won the Original Song honor at the Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards. The other nominees in this category included “The Journey” from “The Six Triple Eight,” “Like A Bird” from “Sing Sing,” and “Never Too Late” from “Elton John: Never Too Late” by Elton John, Brandi Carlile, Andrew Watt, and Bernie Taupin.
“Emilia Perez” is available to stream on Netflix