Michelle Yeoh becomes the first Asian star to win Oscar for Best Actress: ‘History in the making!’

Yeoh is the first Asian (and only second woman of colour) to win in the category

Michelle Yeoh has won the Oscar for Best Actress.

On Sunday (12 March), the biggest names in film arrived at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles to celebrate the 95th Academy Awards.

Best Actress in a Leading Role was one of the final three categories to be announced, along with Best Actor and Best Picture.

Follow along with live updates for the Oscars at The Independent live blog here.

The Malaysian actor and stunt legend won the award for her leading role as Evelyn Quan Wang in Everything Everywhere All At Once, in which she stars opposite Stephanie Hsu and Jamie Lee Curtis.

Also in the category were Cate Blanchett for Tar, Ana de Armas for Blonde, Andrea Riseborough for To Leslie, and Michelle Williams for The Fablemans.

Accepting the award on stage, Yeoh said: “For all the little boys and girls who look like me watching tonight, this is the beacon of hope and possibilities.

“This is proof to dream big and that dreams do come true.”

She continued: “Ladies, don’t tell anyone tell you, you are past your prime.”

Oscars (AP)

Yeoh dedicated the award to her mum, and “all the mums in the world”, calling them the “real superheroes”.

“Without them, none of us would be here tonight,” she said. “She’s 84 and I’m taking this home to her.”

EEAO was one of the big winners of the night, directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert taking home Best Director. The movie also won Best Film Editing and Best Screenplay.

Yeoh’s co-stars Jamie Lee Curtis and Ke Huy Quan who won Best Supporting Actress and Best Supporting Actor, respectively.

Curtis’s win, however, has been met with mixed reviews with many people suggesting that fellow nominee Angela Bassett was snubbed. The Black Panther: Wakanda Forever star’s reaction to her loss has been praised as “honest”.

(Getty Images)

Prior to Yeoh taking home Best Actress, Brendan Fraser was awarded Best Actor for his role in The Whale, beating out category favourite Austin Butler.

Talking points across the evening included Hugh Grant calling himself a “scrotum” on stage next to fellow presenter Andie Macdowell, and host Jimmy Kimmel coming under fire for a “low blow” joke aimed at the cast of box office flop Babylon.

Elsewhere during the ceremony, Colin Farrell called out Saturday Night Live over its controversial skit about Irish people that aired on Saturday night (11 March).