Everything Everywhere All at Once wins big at 1st major pre-Oscars awards ceremony


Could a trippy multiverse comedy win everything everywhere this Oscar season?
Everything Everywhere All at Once was the big winner of Monday's Gotham Independent Film Awards, the first major awards ceremony of this year's Oscar race. The film, which stars Michelle Yeoh as a laundromat owner who fights a threat to the multiverse, won the top prize of Best Feature, and star Ke Huy Quan also won Outstanding Supporting Performance.
Several films that won Best Feature at the Gotham Awards have gone on to also win Best Picture at the Oscars, including Birdman, Spotlight, Moonlight, and Nomadland. At the same time, the Gothams specifically honor independent films, meaning Everything Everywhere didn't have to compete with this year's presumed Best Picture frontrunner, Steven Speilberg's The Fabelmans.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Still, the wins provided the sci-fi comedy an early boost in momentum. While some experts initially thought Everything Everywhere might be a bit too offbeat for the Best Picture race, it is now widely predicted to be nominated. If the movie could pull off a shock win over Spielberg's semi-autobiographical film, this would be another year where the presumed frontrunner is defeated by an underdog after prior upset victories by CODA and Parasite.
Ke Huy Quan has also become an early frontrunner to win the Best Supporting Actor Oscar, and he only improved his chances with an emotional Gotham Awards speech. "This time last year, all I was hoping for was just a job," Quan said. "And just when I think it can't get any better, it does." Notably, last year's winner in this category was CODA's Troy Kotsur, who went on to win the Oscar.
Danielle Deadwyler also scored a surprise win in the Gotham's non-gendered Outstanding Lead Performance category for Till, cementing her as one of the Oscars' top Best Actress contenders.
But there's plenty of time remaining in the race, as the Oscar nominations won't be announced until Jan. 24.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Why are Trump's health rumors about more than just presidential fitness?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION Extended absences and unexplained bruises have raised concerns about both his well-being and his administration's transparency
-
Earth's seasons have gone wackadoodle
Under the radar It may have impacted biodiversity and evolution
-
How much does it cost to move? Here's how to budget and save.
the explainer Factors like move distance and the weight of your furnishings can affect the total cost — but there are several ways to economize
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclub
Speed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's ills
Speed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, Stallone
Speed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's view
Speed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
-
Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talk
Speed Read The radio host said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal could help 'traditional conservatives' take back the Republican Party
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'
Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
-
And the Oscar goes to … no one in particular: Movies made with AI can now win awards
Under the radar Generative AI is no longer a barrier to acclaim
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposes
speed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle