Michelle Yeoh Makes History With Her Academy Award Win

She did it! Michelle Yeoh took home the award for Best Actress at the Oscars! Making history as the first Asian actress to take home the award, Yeoh won for her work in Everything Everywhere All At Once as Evelyn Wang. And it is a role that not only grounded and centered the entire movie but without her performance, the movie as a whole might not have worked in the way that it did.

Yeoh, who has been working for decades, is finally getting the recognition she deserves and this is just such a perfect win. While the entire award season went back and forth between Yeoh and her fellow nominee Cate Blanchett, it really was a bit of a toss up in terms of what the Academy would end up doing when it came time for the ceremony.

Many (myself included) was praying for a Yeoh win and luckily, that’s exactly what happened! Yeoh took to the stage with an emotional speech to all the boys and girls who look like her out there dreaming of one day standing on that stage and she told us all to not give up our dreams. And it was one of those Oscars speeches that really just stays with you long after the ceremony has ended.

The thing is: This was the right choice. Because of all the possible outcomes, the one who deserved it the most for her performance was Yeoh and it just felt so right seeing her take to the stage and claim her rightful prize. Michelle Yeoh deserved it so much and truly it just feels like the best way to end this award season.

The right winner

With most categories, there are your favorites and then there are those who win and sometimes they’re not the same. Often, there are choices that are just the right pick and then there is whatever the Academy thinks deserves a win. It might not always be the right choice and it can be frustrating to see. It’s why so many of us were worried about whether or not Michelle Yeoh would take home the win.

And hearing her name get called was such a beautiful moment because she regularly deserved it and was something that ushered in one of the best acceptance speeches ever.

(Featured image: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)