DiCaprio, Del Toro and Rose Byrne honored at National Board of Review gala

Leonardo DiCaprio, Benicio Del Toro and Rose Byrne were among the honorees at the National Board of Review’s annual gala at Cipriani 42nd Street in Midtown Manhattan on Tuesday night.

The board awarded Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another best film; the film also took director (Anderson), actor (DiCaprio), supporting actor (Del Toro) and breakthrough performance for Chase Infiniti. Other winners included Jafar Panahi’s It Was Just an Accident for best international film, Ryan Coogler’s Sinners for best original screenplay and outstanding achievement in cinematography, and Rose Byrne for best actress for If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.

Several presenters and honorees used their speeches to draw attention to current events. Mr. Coogler referenced the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis and said he "can't be here and not think about Renee," and Mr. Panahi, who has been imprisoned and banned from filmmaking in Iran, said through an interpreter that "the Islamic Republic has caused a blood bath to delay its collapse" and urged artists to speak out.

The traditionally irreverent, non-televised gala, for which winners are announced in advance, drew several hundred actors, directors and producers and remains an East Coast stop on the Oscars campaign trail; the awards portion featured lengthy speeches that were often over 10 minutes and included profanity.

Key Topics

Culture, Leonardo Dicaprio, Benicio Del Toro, Rose Byrne, Paul Thomas Anderson, Jafar Panahi