Oscars: ‘Anora’ Wins BIG—Minnesota Couple’s Ties to Director Sean Baker REVEALED!
Minnesota couple Jack and Kitty Norton shine with their musical ties to Oscar-sweeping film “Anora” and its director Sean Baker. 🌐 #News #MinneapolisMN #Minnesota #Lifestyle
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – Jack and Kitty Norton, a creative couple from Minneapolis, Minnesota, watched last night’s Academy Awards with a special thrill. Their longtime collaborator, director Sean Baker, took home a historic four Oscars for his film Anora, which dominated the night with five wins, including Best Actress for breakout star Mikey Madison. The couple’s unique bond with Baker ties their small-town roots to Hollywood’s brightest lights.
Anora Rules the Oscars
The fast-paced drama Anora captivated audiences and voters alike, earning five golden statues. Mikey Madison, a fresh face in the industry, nabbed Best Actress as a New York stripper who falls for a rich Russian’s son, beating out heavy hitter Demi Moore.
Meanwhile, the genius filmmaker Sean Baker made history as the first person to personally win four Academy Awards—Directing, Editing, Writing, and Producing—for one movie. Walt Disney once claimed four Oscars in a night in 1953, but those spanned multiple projects.
Minnesota Ties to Tinsel Town
Enter Jack and Kitty Norton, the dynamic duo now living in Winona, Minnesota, whose musical talents have fueled Baker’s cinematic journey.
Their collaboration kicked off with Baker’s 2016 film Snowbird, starring supermodel Abbey Lee, where they composed original music. The project, backed by Kenzo creative directors Carol Lim and Humberto Leon, showcased the couple’s knack for blending sound with story.
Their partnership deepened in Baker’s 2017 hit The Florida Project, an Oscar-nominated gem starring Willem Dafoe. The tale of a single mom and a motel manager shielding a six-year-old’s innocence featured four songs from Jack and Kitty.
“Working with Sean always feels like magic—he’s such a chill person with a clear creative vision,” said Kitty.
Baker first spotted their work on The Zinghoppers Show, a PBS Kids series the couple co-created, co-directed, and starred in—a program one critic dubbed “Barney meets the Black Eyed Peas.”
“I have a background in early childhood education,” explains Kitty, “so the Zinghoppers were literally born in my classroom.”
The additional characters from the show – Penelope the Possum, Olo the Donkey, and Coconuts the Kangaroo – all started as hand puppets used by Kitty to teach her preschool students simple lessons about friendship, colors, and shapes.
With its humble origins, Jack and Kitty’s The Zinghoppers Show was eventually turned into a Nashville PBS Kids show seen around the world.
“We had up to 4 million viewers daily,” said Jack. “Our show was broadcast on most PBS member station as well as on the Armed Forces Network’s Family Channel and Trinity Broadcast Network’s kids channel.”
During the global pandemic, Jack and Kitty took a break from producing the series and launched a blog and publishing company.
Hollywood Cheers, Minnesota Dreams
Back at the Oscars, 25-year-old Madison, accepting her award, 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.”
Presenting Baker’s Best Director trophy, Quentin Tarantino—whose Once Upon a Time in Hollywood gave Madison an early role—sparked a memorable moment.
Accepting the award, Baker told him: “If you didn’t cast Mikey Madison… there’d be no Anora.”
The visionary maestro thanked voters for “recognising a truly independent film” and rallied for theaters, saying: “Where did we fall in love with movies? At the movie theatres. Watching a film in a theatre with an audience is an experience.”
What’s Next for the Winona Wonders?
Jack and Kitty, beyond their popular news blog, books, and podcasts, are rebooting The Zinghoppers Show for a premiere later this year. They’re hoping to team up with Baker again, bridging Minnesota’s heartland to Hollywood’s glamour.
Reflecting on the big win, Jack said, “seeing Sean win big last night proves dreams can soar from little old Winona all the way to the Oscars!”
For now, the talented twosome basks in Anora’s triumph, a reflection of their enduring creative spark.
“I’m really proud of Sean,” said Kitty. “He’s a real independent filmmaker – and it’s exciting to see him taking Hollywood by storm!”
RELATED TOPICS: California | Celebs | Film and Television | Minnesota | Music
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