As expected, Daniels Kwan and Scheinert’s Everything Everywhere All At Once has come out on top at 2023’s Oscars ceremony, with the most wins of anything nominated.
The A24 multiverse dramedy, only the second feature film from the directing duo, took home seven awards: best picture, director, lead actress for Michelle Yeoh, original screenplay, editing, supporting actor for Ke Huy Quan and supporting actress for Jamie Lee Curtis.
It broke multiple records with its haul: Yeoh is the first woman to identify as Asian to win lead actress and only the second woman of color ever to win in that category. She also is the actor who has won for playing the most characters in a single film ever (around 70). Quan and Yeoh are the first actors to win for playing Mandarin Chinese and Cantonese-speaking characters, as well as it being the first ceremony multiple Asian actors won in a single year. EEAAO received 11 nominations total but lost out on best costume design, best original score, best original song and to itself in supporting actress.
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Netflix’s All Quiet on the Western Front also had a strong evening, winning for international feature, cinematography, score, and production design.
The Whale was next in line, with two awards, for makeup and lead actor for Brendan Fraser. There was a healthy distribution of awards to other movies, despite EEAAO and All Quiet’s massive success: films like Avatar: The Way of Water, Women Talking, RRR, Top Gun: Maverick, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever each took home a solitary trophy.
Check out a full list of tonight’s winners here.
Wins By Film:
Everything Everywhere All At Once – 7 wins
EEAAO swept the ceremony, winning big at the beginning of the night with supporting actor for Ke Huy Quan and supporting actress for Jamie Lee Curtis. Next they picked up original screenplay before going on to win editing, directing, lead actress for Michelle Yeoh, and best picture.
All Quiet on the Western Front – 4 wins
Netflix’s German-language war drama surprised pundits on Oscar nomination morning when it raked up nine nods, winning for international feature for director Edward Berger, production design, score, and cinematography.
The Whale – 2 wins
Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale hinged on the physical transformation of lead actor Brendan Fraser, who wore head-to-toe prosthetics for the role. As such, the film took home the Oscar for hair and makeup, honoring department heads Adrien Morot, Judy Chin, and Annemarie Bradley-Sherron. Additionally, Fraser won for best actor.
Women Talking – 1 win
Sarah Polley won adapted screenplay for reimagining Miriam Toews’ novel for the big screen. The story follows a group of women in an orthodox religious community deciding if they should flee the men in their commune who have repeatedly sexually assaulted them.
Avatar: The Way of Water – 1 win
James Cameron’s sequel to Avatar used groundbreaking motion capture technology to transport its cast to Pandora, a fantastical fictional planet created on screen using mostly visual effects, for which the film won its single Oscar.
Top Gun: Maverick – 1 win
The Tom Cruise-led sequel to Top Gun picked up one award, for outstanding sound design.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – 1 win
Ruth E. Carter made history as the first black woman to ever win best costumes when she won for Black Panther, and repeated the feat winning for this year’s sequel. She dedicated her award to her late mother, who recently passed at 101.
RRR – 1 win
“Naatu Naatu” won original song for RRR, which shocked audiences when it was not chosen as the official selection for India’s Oscar entry despite its massive box office success.
Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio – 1 win
Del Toro’s stop-motion adaptation of the fabled story of a young puppet-turned-real-boy beat out fellow contenders Marcel the Shell with Shoes On and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish to take home best animated feature.
Navalny – 1 win
Navalny picked up documentary feature for its timely story of a Russian dissident under the Putin regime. The film wins over other hot contenders like the volcanologist love story Fire of Love and the bird sanctuary story All That Breathes.
An Irish Goodbye – 1 win
Live action short goes to An Irish Goodbye, the story of two estranged brothers in rural Ireland who reunite after the passing of their mother. Tom Berkeley and Ross White wrote and directed the film.
The Elephant Whisperers – 1 win
This Indian-American entry fro documentary short film follows a couple who bonds with a baby elephant entrusted into their care. It is directed by Kartiki Gonsalves.
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse – 1 win
British filmmakers Charlie Mackesy and Peter Baynton won the award for animated short, for a film based on Mackesy children’s illustrated book of the same name.
