16 best awards moments of 2023 including Michelle Yeoh, Viola Davis, Regina Hall, ‘Naatu Naatu’ and many more [WATCH]

Charles Bright
·17 min read
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Despite all the hurdles that the entertainment industry has experienced in 2023, the year was still able to give us numerous incredible moments at awards shows this year. With that in mind, we’ve asked our site’s contributors and editors to give us their choices for their favorite awards moments of the year. Below are the 16 moments from this year that stood out as the year’s best to Gold Derby’s writers.

The combination of strikes led by the Writer’s Guild of America and the Screen Actor’s Guild brought the industry to a halt when WGA started theirs back in May and ran through the end of SAG-AFTRA’s in November. It affected the Tony Awards, which went unscripted after getting a waiver, and also caused the 2023 Emmys to be moved to January of 2024.

More from GoldDerby

Most of the chosen moments came from specific wins. Christopher Tsang really loved “Naatu Naatu” from “RRR” winning the Best Original Song Oscar as well as the impressive number that was performed earlier in the ceremony, Sam Eckmann cheered for J. Harrison Ghee and Alex Newell becoming the first non-binary acting winners at the Tony Awards and Ray Richmond couldn’t get enough of Michelle Yeoh saying she would beat up the person trying to play her offstage in the middle of her speech at the Golden Globes.

When it came to specific moments Denton Davidson loved the shocked reaction of Bonnie Raitt winning Song of the Year for “Just Like That” at the Grammys, Joyce Eng adored Regina Hall’s hilarious acceptance of Kevin Costner’s Golden Globe that he was unable to make it to and Marcus James Dixon was over the moon that “Survivor” was able to get back into Best Reality-Competition Program at the Emmys.

SEEIn Memoriam 2023: Celebrating 36 legendary entertainers who died this year [PHOTOS]

Enjoy our picks and take some time to watch (or re-watch) each of the moments listed below:

Michelle Yeoh wins Best Comedy Actress Golden Globe for “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
“I’m just gonna stand here and take this all in,” Michelle Yeoh began as she clutched her Best Actress trophy at the Golden Globes on the Beverly Hilton stage, beaming with pride. “Forty years. Not letting go of this.” She then launched into a story about arriving in Hollywood in the 1980s and being insultingly asked if she spoke English. “Yeah,” she replied, “the flight here was about 13 hours long, so I learned” – drawing a laugh. At 60, she admitted she’d had a good run – “worked with some of the best people. Steven Spielberg and Jim Cameron and Danny Boyle.” Then as she started to gush about all the ways “Everything Everywhere All at Once” had changed her life, the orchestra launched into the first quiet cords of playing her off-stage. Yeoh was having none of it. She turned sharply and – striking her best bad-ass pose – warned, “Shut up, please. I can beat you up, OK? And that’s serious.” She was laughing while she said it. But the music stopped, and no one doubted she could make good on her threat. Pissing off Michelle Yeoh is clearly never a good idea, particularly when the spotlight is shining brightest.
Written by Ray Richmond

Emmys re-light “Survivor” torch
The last time “Survivor” was nominated for the top Best Competition Series Emmy was in 2006, when George W. Bush was president and the Marvel Cinematic Universe wasn’t even a thing yet. Indeed, this year’s out-of-nowhere nomination (for Seasons 43 and 44) came after 17 (!) consecutive years of snubs, and some people were more shocked than others. “I honestly thought it was over,” host/producer Jeff Probst recently told me. Well, the Emmys have spoken, Jeff: “Survivor” is back!
Written by Marcus James Dixon

Viola Davis achieves EGOT status with Grammy win for memoir “Finding Me”
You call it crazy, she calls it winning. On February 5, Viola Davis took home a Grammy for the audiobook recording of her memoir “Finding Me,” completing the grand slam of show business awards and becoming just the 18th person in history to achieve the coveted EGOT status. This moment was a long time coming for the now 58-year-old, who kicked off her journey with her Tony win for “King Hedley II” back in 2001 and has since truly established herself as one of the GOATs. It’s only fitting that she completed her EGOT by being recognized for something as personal as “Finding Me” — a memoir in which she honors not just her career but her entire life. “I wrote this book to honor the six-year-old Viola — to honor her life, her joy, her trauma,” Davis said in her Grammy acceptance speech. “And it has been such a journey. I just EGOT!” So despite being snubbed by the Oscars for her tremendous performance in “The Woman King” not even two weeks before the Grammys, Davis still had her much-deserved crowning moment in 2023.
Written by Luca Giliberti

An inebriated Mike White wins Best Limited Series for “The White Lotus” at the 80th Golden Globe Awards
Whatever your thoughts may be about the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, it felt so good to have the Golden Globes back on television again. No win better encapsulated this than when “White Lotus” creator Mike White made his way to the stage to accept the award for Best Limited Series. White still had visible tears in his eyes from Jennifer Coolidge’s speech and then explained his state. “I was going to give this speech in Italian, but I’m too drunk, because there’s no food! They said we couldn’t have any.” When he got to thanking two of his producers standing behind him, he said, “I would take a bullet for you guys. Maybe not in the heart, but in the foot or the leg.” When he got to thanking Coolidge, he remembered the reaction he got from people when they were shopping the project around. He said, “Everybody passed. I know you all passed. You all passed on this show. So it’s very gratifying to have this moment,” while pointing at all the execs in the audience who were all laughing and cheering. A funny and honest speech that got a little help from the open bar and unlimited champagne? This is why we love the Golden Globes and, damn, did it feel good to have them back!
Written by Charlie Bright

Lady Gaga performing “Hold My Hand” at the 95th Oscars
Lady Gaga wasn’t even expected to perform her Oscar-nominated song from “Top Gun: Maverick” at the 2023 Oscars due to scheduling difficulties. But she made a last-minute appearance during the ceremony to sing “Hold My Hand” and turned the throwback power ballad into an emotional showstopper. Flanked by a four-piece band and seated on a stool sans makeup and flashy wardrobe, the Oscar-winning star introduced the “Maverick” theme by explaining her personal connection to the track. “We all need each other. We need a lot of love to walk through this life. We need heroes sometimes. There’s heroes all around us…. You might find that you can be your own hero, even if you feel broken inside,” Gaga said before starting an acoustic version of the song that would’ve been right at home on an episode of “MTV Unplugged” in the ‘90s.
Written by Christopher Rosen

Michael Arden wins Direction of a Musical Tony for “Parade” revival
It was joyous enough to see Michael Arden win his long overdue and much deserved first Tony award for his direction of the first Broadway revival of Jason Robert Brown’s haunting musical “Parade.” But Arden used his speech as a rallying cry to stand up against bigotry, particularly bigotry that continues to target the LGBTQ+ community. “Growing up, I was called the f word more times than I could remember, and all I can say now is I’m a f—-t with a Tony.” Arden’s reclamation of the anti-gay slur brought many in the audience to their feet. More importantly, it was a moment that reminded all of us that the fight for equality never ends.
Written by Tony Ruiz

J. Harrison Ghee and Alex Newell become first non-binary performers to win Tony Awards
Award show “firsts” usually happen one at a time, but the 2023 Tony Awards bucked that trend when J. Harrison Ghee and Alex Newell both became the first non-binary acting winners in Tony history. Their victories brought attention to the many performers working on Broadway who don’t identify along the gender binary. Their roles couldn’t be more different when it came to gender: Ghee played a character who discovers their non-binary identity in “Some Like it Hot,” while Newell played a role written as a cisgender woman in “Shucked.” These wins (coupled with genuinely moving acceptance speeches) spurred vital conversations about gender diversity in the industry.
Written by Sam Eckmann

Jamie Lee Curtis wins Best Supporting Actress at the 95th Oscars for “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
What a moment. In a super-competitive category that boasted another respected veteran (Angela Bassett) and a co-star from the soon-to-be Best Picture-winning sci-fi odyssey (Stephanie Hsu), former “scream queen” and outspoken industry vet Jamie Lee Curtis defied the odds to claim an Oscar for her unforgettable, audacious and often hilarious performance as persnickety IRS case officer Deirdre Beaubeirdre. As she composed herself on her march up to the stage to accept her award, we knew her speech would be bursting with unvarnished emotion and tears. “I know it looks like I’m standing up here by myself, but I am not,” she proclaimed defiantly, shouting out her beloved cast and crew with her repeated refrain; “we just won an Oscar,” before pivoting to her personal story, thanking her husband Christopher Guest, her children and sister. Like any great storyteller, she left her final loving tributes to the heartwarming end. “To all of the people who have supported the genre movies that I’ve made for all these years, the thousands and hundreds of thousands of people, we just won an Oscar together! And my mother and my father were both nominated for Oscars in different categories;” she says, tears welling up in her eyes, “I just won an Oscar.”
Written by Rob Licuria

Ruth E. Carter wins second Oscar for Best Costume Design for “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”
Although Ruth E. Carter had won a richly-deserved Best Costume Design Oscar for 2018’s “Black Panther,” she wasn’t widely expected to succeed on her nomination for its 2022 sequel, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” Ultimately, of course, she defied the vast majority of prognosticators and pulled off the most pleasantly surprising victory of the night, thereby making history as the first Black woman to win multiple Oscars. As it did in the moment, it still simply feels right that it happened. In terms of the inspirational messages it contained and the poise with which it was delivered, her second acceptance speech aligned beautifully with her first while differing in tone due to the lasting emotional impact of her mother’s death earlier that week. As before, she concluded by dedicating her trophy to her beloved personal superhero, adding a greater sense of meaning to her monumental achievement.
Written by Matthew Stewart

Regina Hall accepts Kevin Costner’s Golden Globe for “Yellowstone”
Due to flooding in California, Kevin Costner could not make the trek from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles for the Golden Globes. He won Best TV Drama Actor for “Yellowstone,” and just when you thought we were in for the standard “we accept this award on his behalf” line from presenter Regina Hall, she gave us so much more. Reading from the teleprompter that Costner “so much” wanted to be there, the actress burst into laughter. “I always like how they write this. It’s like, ‘He so much wanted to be…’” she quipped. “No, I’m sure he did.” As she continued, we got her hilarious live reaction to learning what she was reading. “He has to shelter in place in Santa Barbara. Jesus,” she said with a laugh as the audience cracked up. Hall tried to compose herself and send well wishes to those affected, but everything she said just elicited more laughs in the room, especially, “He’s stuck in Santa Barbara. Let’s pray, everyone.” Costner later released a four-minute acceptance speech, but that was no match for the entertainment value in Hall’s 48 seconds.
Written by Joyce Eng

Beyoncé’s record-setting 32nd Grammy win
Music history reached another milestone with Beyoncé’s record-breaking 32nd Grammy win, making her the most awarded individual artist of all time. With 88 nominations under her belt, the current queen of music has disappointingly never won Album of the Year, but as she showed in her 32nd acceptance speech this year she remains graceful and grateful for her family, her legions of Black and queer fans, and peers that have uplifted her throughout a vibrant career. That the record was set with a win for “Renaissance,” a triumphant album of pride and community, cements in history what Beyoncé’s voice, artistry and hard work means for so many who admire her and feel connected to the world because of her music.
Written by John Benutty

“Cabaret” collaborators John Kander and Joel Grey receive Lifetime Achievement Tony Awards
Viewers who tuned into the 76th Tony Awards telecast on CBS caught only a fleeting glimpse of the two lifetime achievement award recipients, John Kander and Joel Grey. But their full speeches, which were aired exclusively on the Pluto TV part of the ceremony, were truly a highlight of the awards year. Both men — who collaborated on the sensational musical “Cabaret” — are in their 90s and are as sharp, humorous and humble as ever, as evinced in their moving and heartfelt speeches. A visibly touched Kander accepted the honor from his peer Lin-Manuel Miranda and spent his time paying tribute to those who most shaped his life: his late lyricist Fred Ebb, his parents, his spouse, and to music. Later, Jennifer Grey introduced her father and “hero” Joel, choking up while doing so. Always an entertainer, Joel began his speech by crooning the first lines of the song “Willkommen” that made him a household name before talking about the transporting power of the theatre. It was an utter thrill to watch these two luminaries of Broadway receive their due — some might argue years overdue — amongst a crowd who truly adores them. Theatergoers will soon get to revisit the masterwork, too, when the recent West End revival of “Cabaret” transfers to Broadway in the spring with Eddie Redmayne steps into the role of the Emcee that Grey immortalized on both stage and screen.
Written by David Buchanan

“Naatu Naatu” performance and Best Original Song win at the 95th Oscars
When host Jimmy Kimmel ended his opening monologue with a joke about how the dancers from “Naatu Naatu” would dance the winners offstage if their speeches went too long, we knew we were in for a victorious night for “RRR.” Even though the song was the Indian film’s only nomination at the Oscars, that didn’t stop it from becoming an overwhelming frontrunner in the category after being a viral hit and global sensation, establishing a worldwide and hardcore fan base. Its spectacular Oscar performance sung by Kaala Bhairava and Rahul Sipligunj combined with an impressive choreography number, earned a standing ovation from the audience. When composer M.M. Keeravani and lyricist Chandrabose triumphed later in the night to yet another standing ovation, Keeravani did a rendition of the 1972 song “Top of the World” by The Carpenters to rapturous applause, celebrating the historic achievement as it became the first song from an Asian film to win Best Original Song and the first movie by an Indian production to win an Oscar.
Written by Christopher Tsang

Bonnie Raitt shocking Song of the Year win at the 65th Grammy Awards
When Dr. Jill Biden walked out to present Song of the Year at the 2023 Grammys, most were expecting Adele to take home her third trophy in this category for her smash hit “Easy On Me.” If not her, then surely it would go to Harry Styles (“As It Was”), Beyoncé (“Break My Soul”), Taylor Swift (“All Too Well”) or Lizzo (“About Damn Time”). So it was an absolute jaw-dropper when the First Lady opened the envelope and read, “Just Like That,” Bonnie Raitt remained in her seat, stunned, for nearly 10 seconds before she even stood up to approach the stage. It was an incredible moment to see this legend take one of the top honors awarded by the Recording Academy. “I’m so surprised, I don’t know what to say,” she exclaimed. She wrote the song to honor people who donate their “beloved’s organs to help another person live.” It was Raitt’s 15th career Grammy, but first for Song of the Year.
Written by Denton Davidson

Samara Joy’s performance and Best New Artist win at the 65th Grammy Awards
Samary Joy? Who the heck is Samara Joy? That’s what a lot of viewers were probably thinking when the under-the-radar jazz vocalist beat Maneskin, Latto and Anitta for Best New Artist at the 2023 Grammys. You would have been less surprised if you caught the afternoon Premiere Ceremony a few hours earlier. The Premiere Ceremony is where most of the Grammys are handed out, and it’s where casual music fans can make startling discoveries like Joy, who performed “Can’t Get Out of This Mood” during the streamed event and demonstrated a level of vocal power and precision that would have put most of the prime time performers to shame. Even if that performance was the first time you ever heard her, it would have been hard to argue against her eventual upset victory.
Written by Daniel Montgomery

Ke Huy Quan winning Best Supporting Actor at the 95th Oscars for “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
Ke Huy Quan was the most heartwarming story of the awards year. Before his turn in “Everything Everywhere All at Once” he was best known for paying a 12-year-old sidekick to Indiana Jones in the 1984 “Temple of Doom” film. It was a joy to see his delightful selfies with Hollywood heroes crop up on the awards circuit. The journey was capped by his emotional Oscar win. On stage, he paid tribute to his 84-year-old mother watching at home and spoke of a life that took him from a refugee camp to Hollywood’s biggest night.
Written by Matt Noble

PREDICT the 2024 Oscar nominees through January 23

Make your predictions at Gold Derby now. Download our free and easy app for Apple/iPhone devices or Android (Google Play) to compete against legions of other fans plus our experts and editors for best prediction accuracy scores. See our latest prediction champs. Can you top our esteemed leaderboards next? Always remember to keep your predictions updated because they impact our latest racetrack odds, which terrify Hollywood chiefs and stars. Don’t miss the fun. Speak up and share your huffy opinions in our famous forums where 5,000 showbiz leaders lurk every day to track latest awards buzz. Everybody wants to know: What do you think? Who do you predict and why?

SIGN UP for Gold Derby newsletters and updates

Best of GoldDerby

Sign up for Gold Derby's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.