Gold House and CAPE launch Gold List 2023 to celebrate the best Asian film hits and guide voters as awards season kicks off

CAPE (Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment) launched the third annual Gold List to move voters up in the awards race by highlighting and recognizing the work of Asian filmmakers and talent over the past year, as voted for by top creative and community leaders has.

Everything everywhere at once leads with wins for Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Director (Daniels), Best Performance in a Leading Role (Michelle Yeoh), and Best Performance in a Supporting Role (Ke Huy Quan), with multiple honorable mentions.

RRR and decided to go received five awards in each of the main categories, with RRR as Best Original Song for “Naatu Naatu”. by PIXAR Blush Awarded Best Animated Film; by David Siev Bad axe Leads for Best Documentary; Dolly De Leon and Stephanie Hsu won for Breakout Performance and joy land rounded out the list with Breakout Independent Film.

In a year where films with Asian helms continue to enjoy commercial success – through Everything everywhere at once countries as the highest grossing film by A24 and Blush Launched as Disney+’s most watched movie premiere, the Gold List calls for recognition of the gatekeepers of Hollywood’s biggest awards.

Oscar wins for Michelle Yeoh or Ke Huy Quan would make history again – no one of East, South or Southeast Asian descent has ever won Best Actress, and the last (and only) actor of Asian descent to win Best Supporting Actor was Haing S Ngor in 1984.

“Since its inception just two years ago, 15 Gold List Awards have received an Oscar win or nomination,” said Jeremy Tran, Gold House Executive Director and COO. “The historic wins of Chloé Zhao, Youn Yuh-jung and Riz Ahmed, to name a few, highlight why vehicles like the Gold List, which celebrate the most influential creative achievements by and within the Asian community, are important signals that the new creative developments, production and distribution opportunities for traditionally unrecognized communities.”

“The tide of authentic representation and storytelling is turning slowly and steadily, as this year’s impressive roster demonstrates,” said Michelle K. Sugihara, executive director of CAPE. “While incredible films and shows directed by diverse artists have long existed, Hollywood has often overlooked them. The Golden List was created to accelerate much-needed change during awards season by highlighting the year’s best Asian films in mainstream and grassroots campaigns.

Empowering Asian talent in the awards race serves as an extension of critical cultural advice, promoting next generation talent and the #GoldOpen movement of the two organizations – which together ensure the authentic portrayal of stories from the Asia-Pacific region as they propel them to the top of the box office, including hits such as Crazy rich Asians, parasiteand Everything everywhere at once.

The Golden List has 14 categories, and gender-neutral acting categories were introduced for the first time to accommodate non-binary performers. Prominent leaders of the Gold Open Advisory Board, Goudhuis members, CAPE board members and advisors, and heavyweights in the entertainment industry make up the Gold List’s voting panel.

The full list of Gold List selections is below:

best photo
Everything everywhere at once
Acknowledgments: decided to go and RRR

dear director
Daniel’s (Everything everywhere at once)
Acknowledgments: Park Chan Wook (decided to go) and SS Rajamouli (RRR)

Best Performance in a Leading Role
Michelle Yeoh (Everything everywhere at once)
Acknowledgments: NT Rama Rao Jr. (RRR), Park Hae-il (decided to go), Ram Charan (RRR), Song Kang-ho (Real estate agent), Tang-Wei (decided to go)

Best Performance in a Supporting Role
Ke Hoei Quan (Everything everywhere at once)
acknowledgements: Dolly deLeon (triangle of sadness), Gemma Chan (Don’t worry love), Hong Chau (The whale), Stephanie Hsu (Everything everywhere at once), Steven Yeun (no)

Best Original Screenplay
Daniel’s (Everything everywhere at once)
Acknowledgments: Domee Shi and Julia Cho (Blush) and Park Chan-wook and Jeong Seo-kyeong (decided to go)

Best Adapted Screenplay
Kazuo Ishiguro (life)
Award: Kogonada (To Yang)

Best Animated Feature
Blush
Award: Inu-O and Run, tiger, run!

Best Documentary
Bad axe
Acknowledgments: Everything that breathes and hidden letters

Best Original Song
“Naatu Naatu” by MM Keeravani, Kaala Bhairava and Rahul Sipligunj (RRR)
Acknowledgments: “New Body Rhumba” by Nancy Whang, Pat Mahoney and James Murphy (white noise) and “This Is A Life” by Son Lux, Mitski and David Byrne (Everything everywhere at once)

Best Short Live Action
Moschari
Acknowledgments: Lori and The gift

Best Animated Short Film
dear father
acknowledgements: 7 pounds 8 ounces and bird on the peninsula

Best Short Documentary
38 in the yard
Acknowledgments: As far as they can walk and The Elephant Whisperers

Breakout Achievements
Dolly de Leon (triangle of sadness) and Stephanie Hsu (Everything everywhere at once)

Breakout independent film
joy land