Tom Hanks and Natalie Portman took top acting honors on Sunday at the Hollywood Film Awards, billed as the official start of the film industry’s annual prize-giving season.
The “Hollywood Blockbuster Award” went to Disney’s The Jungle Book while there was a comedy prize for two-time Oscar-winner Robert De Niro for his role in the upcoming The Comedian.
Mr Hanks, also a double Oscar winner, was honored for Sully, Clint Eastwoods drama about real-life hero Chelsey Sullenberger’s 2009 emergency landing of a passenger jet on the Hudson River.
Portman was recognised for her starring role in Jackie, a portrait of First Lady Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy during the days immediately following her husband’s assassination.
Best supporting actor went to Hugh Grant for comedy biopic Florence Foster Jenkins, while Nicole Kidman was recognised for her support role in Lion. “His performance in Florence Foster Jenkins is miraculous and marvelous, and I always knew he was a wonderful actor,” the film’s British writer Nicholas Martin said.
The ceremony, which has trademarked its description of itself as “The Official Launch of the Awards Season,” is in its 20th year.
Mel Gibson, who is making a comeback after his career collapsed following an anti-Semitic tirade caught on tape, was accepted back into the fold with an award for directing. His World War II drama Hacksaw Ridge came out on Friday to widespread acclaim, ten years after his last directing project, Apocalypto.
“Our crew and cast would lie in front of the tracks for Mel. They adored him and loved him. He’s an amazing filmmaker and an amazing individual,” Hacksaw Ridge producer David Permut said.
Hosted by British actor and comedian James Corden, the plush Beverly Hills ceremony has been criticised in the past.
