Oscars 2023: The 6 biggest talking points, from Brendan Fraser scoring Best Actor to those surprise snubs

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We round up all the major talking points of the 2023 Oscars ceremony

Oscars
(Image credit: Getty Images)

The 2023 Oscars was a night full of snubs and surprises, with some huge films walking away empty handed, while Everything Everywhere All at Once swept the major categories and dominated the evening's wins. 

Ke Huy Quan left not one dry eye in the house with his emotional speech – and heart-warming onstage reunion with Harrison Ford – while Jamie Lee Curtis also bagged a surprise win, and Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Majors made sure to give Angela Bassett a sweet shout out. 

We've rounded up the biggest talking points of the night below, so you can get up to speed on the 2023 Oscars at a glance. 

Everything Everywhere All at Once sweeps the major categories

Michelle Yeoh in Everything Everywhere All at Once

(Image credit: A24)

It came as no surprise that Everything Everywhere All at Once walked away with the most wins of the night – the film had been a frontrunner for the entire awards race and was widely expected to bag some major wins. Its hugely successful evening saw the film take home the gold for Best Actress (Michelle Yeoh), Best Supporting Actor (Ke Huy Quan), Best Supporting Actress (Jamie Lee Curtis), Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Director (Daniels), and Best Picture.

But The Banshees of Inisherin and The Fabelmans go home empty handed

The Banshees of Inisherin

(Image credit: Searchlight Pictures UK)

In a big surprise, two of the juggernauts of the race, The Banshees of Inisherin and the Steven Spielberg-directed The Fabelmans, went home empty handed. Banshees was up for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Colin Farrell), Best Supporting Actor (Brendan Gleeson and Barry Keoghan), Best Supporting Actress (Kerry Condon), Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing, and Best Original Score. 

The Fabelmans, meanwhile, was nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Score, and Best Production Design. 

Ke Huy Quan's heart-warming speech and Indiana Jones reunion gets everyone crying

Ke Huy Quan in Everything Everywhere All at Once

(Image credit: A24)

The most wholesome win of the night went to Ke Huy Quan, who got the trophy for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Waymond in Everything Everywhere All at Once. Visibly emotional, Quan gave a seriously heartfelt speech. 

"My mom is 84 years old and she's at home watching. Mom, I just won an Oscar," Quan said in the Dolby Theatre. "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."

He also thanked his "Goonies brother for life," Jeff Cohen, who is Quan's lawyer.

If that wasn't emotional enough, the actor later reunited with his Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom co-star onstage when Everything Everywhere All at Once won Best Picture. The duo enthusiastically embraced – see the moment below. 

Jamie Lee Curtis bags surprise first Oscar

Jamie Lee Curtis in Everything Everywhere All at Once

(Image credit: A24)

Jamie Lee Curtis has been an icon of the screen for decades, but has never won an Oscar before. That all changed at the 2023 ceremony when she was awarded Best Supporting Actress for her role in Everything Everywhere All at Once. It was a relatively surprising win in a competitive category, with Curtis's Everything Everywhere co-star Stephanie Hsu also nominated, alongside Angela Bassett, Kerry Condon, and Hong Chau. 

Angela Bassett doesn't win – but Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Majors give her a shout out

Angela Bassett in Black Panther 2

(Image credit: Disney/Marvel)

Angela Bassett was one of the favorites to win Best Supporting Actress for her role as Queen Ramonda in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Although she didn't take home the gold, with the award instead going to Jamie Lee Curtis, she did get a sweet shout out from her Black Panther co-star Michael B. Jordan and his Creed 3 co-star Jonathan Majors. Check out the moment below.

Brendan Fraser comes out on top of close Best Actor race

Brendan Fraser in The Whale

(Image credit: A24)

Another fiercely competitive category was Best Actor, with the winner too close to call in the run up to the main event. Brendan Fraser ended up winning gold, though, for his performance in The Whale. He was up against Paul Mescal for Aftersun, Bill Nighy for Living, Colin Farrell for The Banshees of Inisherin, and Austin Butler for Elvis.

And that's a wrap on this year's Academy Awards. For even more, check out our Oscars 2023 winners list in full through the link. 

Molly Edwards
Molly Edwards
Deputy Entertainment Editor

I'm the Deputy Entertainment Editor here at GamesRadar+, covering all things film and TV for the site's Total Film and SFX sections. I previously worked on the Disney magazines team at Immediate Media, and also wrote on the CBeebies, MEGA!, and Star Wars Galaxy titles after graduating with a BA in English.