Granada, cradle of history and art, was the epicentre of the 39th edition of the Goya Awards 2025, where Spanish cinema was crowned as the great protagonist of the evening. The evening, presented by the incomparable Maribel Verdú and Leonor Watling, unfolded with a serene elegance, a natural fluidity that made room for both speeches of forceful vindicatory character and tributes of emotional intensity. All this, seasoned with musical performances that set the pulse of a gala marked by surprise and history. El 47, with its 5 top films, led the ceremony, while Segundo Premio and La habitación de al lado won 3 statuettes each, giving shape to a diversity of awards that ratified the plural and distributed character of this historic edition.
The two Goyas to La Tania, Yerai Cortés and C. Tangana
Antón Álvarez is the perfect example of the fact that art has no boundaries, not even those of the genre itself. His foray into the Goya Awards did not result in two awards: Best Original Song for Los almendros, together with Yerai Cortés and La Tania, and Best Documentary Film for La guitarra flamenca de Yerai Cortés. His speech, which oscillated between self-criticism and irreverence, made it clear that this was not only a professional triumph, but also a lesson in humility: ‘Let’s be understanding, because the bigger the mistake, the more we need the forgiveness of others’.
Greta Fernández’s intimate tribute to her father
Winning a Goya is an achievement in itself, but receiving it from the hands of your daughter, a gesture as profound as it is unexpected, elevates the experience to another level. Greta Fernández, with her soul on the edge of her seat, surprised her father, Eduard Fernández, when she presented him with the award for Best Leading Actor. A sincere embrace, full of affection, became one of the most endearing images of the night.
A shared Goya: El 47 and La Infiltrada
The ceremony reached its climax with an unexpected twist. Belén Rueda, in charge of opening the envelope for Best Film, not only named El 47, but, with the same precision, also pronounced the title of La infiltrada. In a moment reminiscent of the historic Oscar 2017 mistake between Moonlight and La La Land, the Spanish Film Academy decided, for the first time, to award the Goya for Best Film ex aequo to two films, thus consolidating a completely unusual ending.
Marisa Paredes: Tribute to a legend
María Isasi, with a heart full of emotion, dedicated a few words full of love to her mother, the unforgettable Marisa Paredes, who has left an indelible mark on Spanish cinema. Remembered for her time as president of the Academy and for her roles in key works such as Todo sobre mi madre, La flor de mi secreto and Tacones lejanos, Paredes remains an icon whose passion and talent will continue to inspire generations.
Mar adentro: 20 years of a landmark cinema
On a night when the right to die with dignity was debated, the 20th anniversary of Mar adentro re-emerged as an unwavering landmark. Alejandro Amenábar’s film, which won 14 Goya Awards in its day, remained in the collective imagination as the most awarded film in the history of the Goya Awards, a benchmark that not only won over critics but also left a deep mark on world cinema, also winning the Oscar for Best Foreign Film.
Maribel Verdú y Aitana Sánchez-Gijón: The Kiss of Eternal Friendship
Maribel Verdú, as an emblem of the generosity and wisdom of Spanish cinema, paid tribute to her friend and colleague Aitana Sánchez-Gijón, presenting her with the Goya of honour for her entire career. At the age of 56, Sánchez-Gijón became the youngest female performer to receive such a distinction, and the gesture that sealed the recognition was a kiss between the two, charged with complicity, which quickly went viral as the most significant image of the evening.
Richard Gere: His Speech Against Political Darkness
Richard Gere’s presence in Granada was not only an act of glamour, but a powerful message of global awareness. Receiving the Goya of honour from Antonio Banderas, the actor did not hesitate to point out the darkness that his home country, the United States, is going through, and appealed to the need to remain alert and courageous. In a sincere and direct tone, he did not leave out his wife, the Galician Alejandra Silva, with whom he joked about the ‘real reason’ for his award.
Rigoberta Bandini and her tribute to Massiel
Rigoberta Bandini, known for her deeply personal and vindicatory style, surprised the audience once again with a rendition of Massiel’s El amor, a nostalgic and symbolically charged hymn. In her performance, Bandini fused tradition and protest, cementing her presence as one of the most special moments of the evening.
Lola Índigo, Dellafuente and Los Morente: Tribute to Lorca from the land of his birth
Granada, the city where Federico García Lorca was born, was the setting chosen to pay tribute to one of the most universal poets. In a unique tribute, Kiki, Soleá and Estrella Morente, accompanied by Lola Índigo and Dellafuente, joined their voices in a contemporary version of Romance sonámbulo, intertwining tradition and the avant-garde in a tribute that felt deeply authentic.
Speeches of awareness and vindication
From Miguel Ángel Silvestre, who advocated the urgency of climate change, to Salva Reina, who cried out against the illegality of human existence in certain contexts, to Carolina Yuste, who called for decent housing for all, and Agustín Almodóvar, who called for the self-determination of life and death, the speeches offered a deeper vision of art as a motor for social and political change. In a night where cinema was the protagonist, it was made clear that culture is not only entertainment, but also a space for vindication.
Melody’s singing on the Red Carpet
Melody, selected this year to represent Spain in Eurovision, spent the gala singing the chosen single, as well as other songs such as Cariño trianero, by Carmen Sevilla or Yo tuve un pretendiente/de chiquitilla/Que al verme me decía/ ¡Ay, Carmelilla/Ay, Carmelilla/Ay, qué maravilla! This meant that Jedet, among other companions who were at the gala, could not do their interviews calmly: ‘My God, can Melody stop singing? Every time I go to say a line she comes out singing from somewhere. It’s like when you snooze the alarm and it goes off again’.
The controversy of Karla Sofía Gascón
The problem began when racist and discriminatory messages from the actress went viral on social networks. During the red carpet, many guests were asked about the issue, making it clear that opinions are divided. Stylist Cristina Rodríguez said: ‘You can be trans and an asshole’. Jedet has described the messages as ‘disgusting’ and that it has served as an excuse to ‘put an end to it’. Arturo Valls has been more cautious, assuring that Karla has apologised ‘with her small mouth’, but has also warned that public lynchings do not lead to anything good. Macarena Gómez, for her part, has insisted on the separation between the artist and her work, a message in which Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo also agree.
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