See: Margot Robbie, Bradley Cooper, Penelope Cruz... Hollywood stars at the Gotham Awards

The Gotham Awards, now in their 33rd year, leapfrog most of the major ceremonies that lead up to the Academy Awards. But over time, they’ve established themselves as the first big party of the season, and an early hint at some of the favourites. Put on by the Gotham Film & Media Institute and held annually at Cipriani Wall Street, the Gothams have some quirks that make them different than other awards. Prizes are chosen by small committees of film professionals, critics and journalists. Their acting categories are also gender neutral, with 10 actors nominated for lead performance, and another 10 up for supporting performances.

Lily Gladstone, seen here with Leonardo DiCaprio, won for a lesser-known film released earlier in 2023: ‘The Unknown Country,’ in which she stars as a woman embarking on a road trip though the Midwest. In each of her speeches — for ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ and ‘The Unknown Country’ — Gladstone praised the filmmakers for prioritising Native perspectives. “I challenge everybody in this room who makes films: Invest. When you have a budget, invest it in the people,” said Gladstone. “Invest in the people that you’re telling your story about. Your film will be better for it. Your lives will be better for it.”

Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie of ‘Barbie’ were among the numerous tribute awards. In their joint speech, Gerwig said her partner, Noah Baumbach, found out he was co-writing the movie with her from a Variety article that cited them both. He sent the article to Gerwig with just a question mark, she said. “Then he wrote back: ‘It’s OK, we'll make each other laugh,'" added Gerwig.

Bradley Cooper, the director, star and co-writer of ‘Maestro,’ won a tribute award. He is seen here with Carey Mulligan.

Adding glamour to the evening was Natalie Portman, who looked lovely in a floral tea-length dress.

Penelope Cruz earned rave reviews for her role in the biopic 'Ferrari'. She was dressed to impress in a long, semi-sheer white gown.

Rachel McAdams, who was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Performance, wore a ribbed black gown with a plunging keyhole cut-out.