Who gave the best Oscar acceptance speech? [POLL]

After a long season, the 95th Academy Awards are finally history. It was a great ceremony that, once again, provided several incredible Oscars acceptance speeches from the 2023 winners. Many speeches had incredible tones of gratitude, tributes to those who have passed and great acknowledgements of the people who helped them make it to the Oscar stage. Here’s a look at the six best speeches of the night. Which one was YOUR favorite? Did we not include it in this recap? Vote in our poll below and then sound off in the comments section.

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Best Supporting Actor: Ke Huy Quan, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
No one has been more impressive this awards season than Quan. He’s made every speech a memorable one and this one was no exception. After saluting his 84-year-old mother, he said, “My journey started on a boat. I spent year in a refugee camp and somehow I ended up here on Hollywood’s biggest stage.” After giving credit to his family, his co-workers on the film, and even his “Goonies” co-star and current lawyer, Jeff Cohen, he reflected on the journey that brought him to this moment. “Dreams are something you have to believe in. I almost gave up on mine. To all of you out there, please keep your dreams alive. Thank you. Thank you so much for welcoming me back. I love you.”

Best Supporting Actress: Jamie Lee Curtis, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
After saying that she promised Academy president Janet Yang that she would be “a good girl,” Curtis celebrated all the people that she felt won an Oscar with her. She saluted her “Everything Everywhere” team, her management and her family by saying, “We won an Oscar.” She then paid tribute to the types of movies that started her career, “To all of the people who have supported the genre movies that I’ve made for all these years, the thousands and hundreds and thousands of people, we just won an Oscar. Together.” And then she saluted her parents, Janet Leigh and Tony Curtis, “My mother and my father were both nominated for Oscars in different categories, I just won an Oscar,” with tears coming during that last part.

Best Directing and Best Original Screenplay: Daniel Schienert & Daniel Kwan, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
The duo behind this year’s Best Picture winner provided great speeches every time they were at the podium. For their screenplay win, Scheinert started by thanking many of his public school teachers for inspiring him and teaching him to be “less of a butthead.” Kwan then gave an emotional speech thanking his mom and his wife for protecting him in his life. When it came time for their directing win, Scheinert thanked his parents for “not squashing my creativity when I was making really disturbing horror films or really perverted comedy films or dressing in drag as a kid, which is a threat to nobody.” Kwan then reflected, “The world is opening up to the fact that genius does not stem from individuals like us on stage, but genius emerges from the collective. We are products of our context.”

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Best International Feature: Edward Berger, “All Quiet on the Western Front” (Germany)
Accepting on behalf of Germany, director Berger thanked his crew and then talked about seeing cinematography nominee Florian Hoffmeister at a brunch. He recalled, “We are from the same town. We held each other. And for 30 years, we made our first movie together. I was his assistant, and we held each other, and for 30 years, it felt like there was an embrace of all the hard work that went into this and it is just deeply moving for all of us.” He also gave a very moving acknowledgement to the film’s lead, Felix Kammerer, noting, “This was your first movie, and you carried us on your shoulders as if it was nothing. Without you, none of us would be here.”

Best Costume Design: Ruth E. Carter, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”
In becoming the first Black woman to win two Oscars, Carter opened her speech by saying, “Nice to see you again!” She thanked Ryan Coogler and Meg Moore for “reshaping how culture is represented.” But the most touching part of her speech was when she talked about her 101-year-old mother who just passed away. “Thank you to the Academy for recognizing the super hero that is a Black woman. She is my mother. This past week Mabel Carter became an ancestor. This film prepared me for the moment. Chadwick, please take care of Mom,” she said, referencing the departed Chadwick Boseman.

Best Original Song: M.M. Keeravaani & Chandrabose, “Naatu Naatu” from “RRR”
Composer Keeravaani started by remembering how he grew up listening to The Carpenters and marveling that he was now at the Oscars. He then proceeded to sing the rest of his speech to the tune of “Top of the World”: “There was only one wish on my mind. So it was Rajamouli and my families. ‘RRR’ has to win pride of every Indian, and I must put me on the top of the world.” A perfect speech to a perfect song winner!

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