Emma Stone secured the Oscar for best actress at the 96th Academy Awards for her portrayal of Bella Baxter in the Yorgos Lanthimos-directed period fantasy, Poor Things.

This marks Stone’s second Oscar in the best actress category, following her triumph in 2017 for La La Land. She was also nominated in the best supporting actress category previously for Birdman (2015) and The Favourite (2019).

Adapted from Alasdair Gray’s novel, Poor Things features Stone in the lead role

of Bella Baxter, a unique creation that is the result of a child's brain implanted into an adult’s body. The film features an ensemble cast of Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe and Ramy Youssef.

Stone faced stiff competition in the best actress category from contenders like Lily Gladstone (Killers of the Flower Moon), Sandra Hüller (Anatomy of a Fall) and Carey Mulligan (Maestro).

Lily Gladstone's nomination for the best actress Oscar in Killers of the Flower Moon stirred anticipation that she would make history as the first Native American to win the award in the 96-year history of the Academy Awards. However, Gladstone's aspirations were dashed as Stone emerged victorious. “Lily, I share this with you. I’m in awe of you,” Stone said in her acceptance speech.

“It’s not about my individual achievement; it's about a collaborative effort that united to create something more significant than each of its components,” she added.