Oscar’s 2023 winners and recap

Image via the New York Times

Image via the New York Times

After a slew of issues and controversies over the past few years, the 95th Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are back—and some would argue better than ever. Held Sunday night on March 12th in the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles, the Oscars broke old traditions and celebrated some historic moments. 

 

Possibly the most talked about movie of the past year, Everything Everywhere All At Once, swept the awards. The film follows a Chinese immigrant woman as she attempts to save the multiverse, ultimately breaking the cycle of generational trauma along the way The movie, produced by the infamous studio A24, won some of the most coveted awards of the night, including best picture and best director. Michelle Yeoh, the female lead, won best actress, making her the first Asian woman to do so in Oscar history. She is also the second woman of color to win the award.

 

Other notable winners included first time honoree Brendan Fraiser, who won best actor for The Whale, and Ke Huy Quan, who nearly bounced off the stage in glee during his acceptance speech for best supporting actor in Everything Everywhere. Ruth E. Carter became the first Black woman to receive two Oscars, this time winning for the costume design in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

 

As expected, the night was not without some missteps. At one point, host Jimmy Kimmel asked Malala, a Pakistani female education activist, what she thought about Harry Styles spitting on Chris Pine. The Nobel Prize winner was not amused, responding that she only talks about peace. Only a few minutes later, another awkward scene ensued when a man dressed as the cocaine bear crawled over to her. The jokes did not land well, and many viewers took to social media to apologize for the odd behavior, accusing Kimmel of disrespecting the activist.

 

A colorful performance of “Naatu Naatu,” nominated for best original song, disappointed many of its fans watching from the ceremony and at home. Despite the song and the film it appears in being created and performed by South Asians, the performance did not seem to include any Indian dancers. It was yet another step backwards for an award show that still seems to be grappling with representation. 

 

Nevertheless, this ceremony was far more successful than it has been in previous years. The ceremony ended close to on time, and there was nothing nearly as dramatic or striking as the notorious Slap that occurred last year. With big wins for many newcomers and recognition that was long overdue for some of the old guard, it was a night to remember on Hollywood’s biggest stage.

 

The complete list of winners is below:

 

Best Picture

Everything Everywhere All at Once (Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert and Jonathan Wang, producers)

Best Director

Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, Everything Everywhere All at Once

Best Actress

Michelle Yeoh, Everything Everywhere All at Once

Best Actor

Brendan Fraser, The Whale

Best Supporting Actress

Jamie Lee Curtis, Everything Everywhere All at Once

Best Supporting Actor

Ke Huy Quan, Everything Everywhere All at Once

Original Screenplay

Everything Everywhere All at Once (Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert)

Adapted Screenplay

Women Talking (Sarah Polley)

Editing

Everything Everywhere All at Once (Paul Rogers)

Original Song

Naatu Naatu, by M.M. Keeravaani and Chandrabose (“RRR”)

Original Score

All Quiet on the Western Front (Volker Bertelmann)

Animated Short

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse (Charlie Mackesy and Matthew Freud)

Costume Design
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Ruth E. Carter)

Makeup and Hairstyling

The Whale (Adrien Morot, Judy Chin and Annemarie Bradley)

Cinematography

All Quiet on the Western Front (James Friend)

Live-Action Short

An Irish Goodbye (Tom Berkeley and Ross White)

Visual Effects

Avatar: The Way of Water (Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon and Daniel Barrett)

International Feature

All Quiet on the Western Front, Germany (Edward Berger)

Sound
Top Gun: Maverick (Mark Weingarten, James Mather, Al Nelson, Chris Burdon and Mark Taylor)

Production Design

All Quiet on the Western Front (Christian M. Goldbeck and Ernestine Hipper)

Documentary Feature

Navalny (Daniel Roher, Odessa Rae, Diane Becker, Melanie Miller and Shane Boris)

Documentary Short

The Elephant Whisperers (Kartiki Gonsalves and Guneet Monga)

Animated Feature

Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio