Oscars 2023: Daniels duo win Best Directing Award for ‘Everything Everywhere’

Kwan becomes the third winner of Asian descent to win a directing Oscar, after Chloe Zhao and Bong Joon-ho

The directing duo of Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert took the elite filmmaking prize - their second Oscar of the night - for their multiversal dramedy Everything Everywhere All at Once, topping a talented field that included Hollywood royalty, Steven Spielberg.

“There is greatness in every single person,” Kwan said from the stage. “It doesn’t matter who we are. There is genius in every single person, you just have to find it. Thank you to the people who unlocked my genius.”

But Kwan assured his young son he would not foist similar expectations on him. “This is not normal, this is kind of crazy,” he said. “I will love you no matter what.”

The Daniels came into the night the favorites for the Oscar, and their film, the top nominee with 11, had immense awards season momentum, making the victory no surprise.

Scheinert dedicated the award to “all the mommies in the world,” and to his own parents. “Thank you 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,” he said.

The duo earlier won best original screenplay, one of seven statuettes their film won, including best picture, best actress for Michelle Yeoh, best supporting actor for Ke Huy Quan and best supporting actress for Jamie Lee Curtis.

When they won for screenplay, Scheinert railed off the names of his favorite school teachers, saying, “you guys all inspired me and taught me to be less of a butthead.”