The 95th annual Academy Awards were held on Sunday (March 12th) at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles. Hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, the three-and-a-half-hour broadcast aired live on ABC.
In the wake of last year’s infamous slap, Kimmel joked during his opening monologue: “If anyone commits an act of violence anytime during this show, you will be presented the Oscar for Best Actor and be permitted to give an 18-minute long speech.” He added, “Seriously, the Academy has a crisis team in place. If anything unpredictable or violent happens during the ceremony, just do what you did last year — nothing. Maybe even give the assailant a hug.”
Everything Everywhere All at Once was the big winner of the evening, taking home seven awards in total including Best Picture. According to The New York Times, Michelle Yeoh made history as the first Asian actress to take home the award for Best Actress. “For all the little boys and girls who look like me watching tonight, this is a beacon of hope and possibilities,” she said during her acceptance speech. “This is proof that dreams dream big, and dreams do come true.”
Ke Huy Quan and Jamie Lee Curtis both won their first Oscars for Best Supporting Actor and Actress for their roles in the film. After receiving his award, Quan gave a shout-out to his mother. “My mom is 84 years old, and she’s at home watching,” he said. “Mom, I just won an Oscar.” In an emotional speech, Quan added, “My journey started on a boat. I spent a year in a refugee camp. And somehow I ended up here on Hollywood’s biggest stage. They say stories like this only happen in the movies. I cannot believe it’s happening to me. This is the American dream.”
"Mom, I just won an Oscar" —Ke Huy Quan #oscars pic.twitter.com/xvHPuK8Ccl
— Vulture (@vulture) March 13, 2023
Curtis teared up as she remembered her parents. “My mother and my father were both nominated for Oscars in different categories,” she said. According to Deadline, Tony Curtis was nominated for Best Actor in 1959, while Janet Leigh was nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in 1961. “I just won an Oscar!” Jamie Lee exclaimed.
The Netflix film All Quiet on the Western Front also had a successful evening, taking home four awards in total including Best International Feature.
Brendan Fraser won the Oscar for Best Actor for his role in The Whale, commenting on his comeback story during his acceptance speech. “I started in this business 30 years ago. Things didn’t come easily to me but there was a facility that I didn’t appreciate at the time until it stopped,” he said.
Presenters included Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Cara Delevingne, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, Michael B. Jordan, Jonathan Majors, Jennifer Connelly, Samuel L. Jackson, Pedro Pascal, Margot Robbie, and Morgan Freeman.
The evening’s performances included the nominees in the best original song category. Honorary Oscar winner Diane Warren and Sofia Carson performed “Applause” from Tell It Like a Woman; David Byrne, Stephanie Hsu, and Son Lux performed “This Is a Life” from Everything Everywhere All at Once; and Kaala Bhairava and Rahul Sipligunj performed “Naatu Naatu” from RRR. While it was reported that Lady Gaga would not perform at the event due to scheduling conflicts, the House of Gucci star sang “Hold My Hand” from Top Gun: Maverick. Lastly, a month after her Super Bowl Halftime Show, Rihanna performed “Lift Me Up” from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The winner was “Naatu Naatu” from RRR, making history as the first song from an Indian film to be nominated and win in the category, according to The Los Angeles Times.
John Travolta choked up as he remembered Olivia Newton-John before introducing the “In Memoriam” segment, accompanied by Lenny Kravitz on the piano, performing “Calling All Angels.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2JhuWzcghE
Another highlight of the evening included Halle Bailey and Melissa McCarthy taking the stage to reveal the first full trailer for the live-action remake of The Little Mermaid.
See the full list of winners below:
Best Picture
Everything Everywhere All at Once
Best Actor
Brendan Fraser, The Whale
Best Actress
Michelle Yeoh, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Best Director
Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Best Supporting Actor
Ke Huy Quan, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Best Supporting Actress
Jamie Lee Curtis, Everything Everywhere All at Once
International Feature
All Quiet on the Western Front (Germany)
Best Animated Feature
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
Original Screenplay
Everything Everywhere All at Once
Adapted Screenplay
Women Talking
Visual Effects
Avatar: The Way of Water
Original Score
Volker Bertelmann, All Quiet on the Western Front
Original Song
“Naatu Naatu” from RRR
Documentary Feature
Navalny
Documentary Short
The Elephant Whisperers
Cinematography
James Friend, All Quiet on the Western Front
Costume Design
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Animated Short
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse
Live-Action Short
An Irish Goodbye
Film Editing
Everything Everywhere All at Once
Sound
Top Gun: Maverick
Production Design
All Quiet on the Western Front
Makeup and Hairstyling
The Whale
