In Palm Springs, ‘Emilia Pérez,’ Timothée Chalamet, Nicole Kidman, and More Make a Powerful Oscar Case

“I love nothing more than audacity,” Alan Cumming said to kick off the final presentation of the 2025 Palm Springs International Film Awards. “Abandon. Provocation. Pushing boundaries and finding expectations. Reinventing the form and reimagining the ways we can tell stories and connect with an audience in a whole new way. I like to be challenged and shocked and overwhelmed.”

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Cumming was speaking about a favorite film of his, Emilia Pérez , the gonzo trans-centered, Spanish-language crime musical and the winner of the evening’s Vanguard Award. But the theme was present throughout the awards show at the Palm Springs Convention Center—setting an appropriate tone for the first black-tie ceremony of 2025, the midpoint of a season defined by massive swings and uncertainty. It just so happened to be attended by pretty much every major contender in the race this year, before they plan to drive down to LA for the Golden Globes on Sunday and likely hang around for the few days of Oscar voting that follow.

Consider the state of the race and your front-runners in mind were likely seated at one of the event’s dozens (hundreds?) of tables. The fiercely competitive best actress race saw Anora ’s Mikey Madison kick off the evening with the Breakthrough Performance award; Babygirl ’s Nicole Kidman arguably provide the night’s highlight with a rousing, tear-jerking dedication to her late mother; and Maria ’s Angelina Jolie accept the Desert Palm Achievement Award from her godmother, Jacqueline Bisset. Karla Sofía Gascón took the stage with her Emilia Pérez cast. Cynthia Erivo cheered on Ariana Grande, recipient of the “Rising Star” award, a descriptor which—in her gut-busting presentation speech— Jennifer Coolidge took serious issue with: “I don’t want to argue with the Palm Springs Power Gays or their little 19-year-old handsome dates, but I just thought, ‘Rising Star?’ I mean, hasn’t Ariana Grande already risen?” (Roaring cheers followed.)

And there was The Substance ’s Demi Moore, while not a nominee herself offering a beautiful tribute to Sing Sing ’s Colman Domingo, honored here for the second straight year. (He was recognized in 2024 for Rustin , which went on to earn him his first Oscar nod.) Always one of the most genuine figures on the circuit, Domingo spoke movingly about the loss of his own beloved mother, and how art kept him going—linking those notes of grief and inspiration to themes of Sing Sing , about a thriving arts program inside a maximum-security prison: “Art saved my life. I had art to hold on to when I was so bereft. That’s all I had. So I knew what these men were leaning on.”

All eyes are on Sunday’s Globes drama actor category to see who might emerge as the Oscar leader in a similarly packed race. Domingo is nominated there alongside Ralph Fiennes, who spoke in Palm Springs on behalf of Ensemble Award winner Conclave , and the category’s heaviest hitters, The Brutalist ’s Adrien Brody and A Complete Unknown ’s Timothée Chalamet, who each won individual awards on Friday night. Chalamet particularly was everywhere, generously signing autographs as he filed late into the ballroom, then presenting the Directing Award with Arrival alum Amy Adams (hey, another 2025 best actress contender!) to Dune: Part 2 ’s Denis Villeneuve. By the time Chalamet took the stage to give his own speech, after a lovely introduction by Gary Oldman, he seemed warmed-up and raring to go.

That’s the goal, for campaigns, of participating in a ceremony like this. It allows contenders who have been on the trail for months—in some stars’ case (say, another of Friday’s honorees, Kieran Culkin ), for over a year—to wrap their arms around a narrative for voters to get behind. It’s the place to try out a speech, of making your case. Culkin and Chalamet connected their years in the business as kids and teens to their current, arguably most acclaimed film roles ever. Jamie Lee Curtis gave Kidman the most electric intro of the night, allowing Kidman to walk a path paved for her as a revered industry icon—and to promptly break your heart with some deep personal reflection. Grande essentially introduced herself to Hollywood’s bigwigs, having already dominated the music industry, with cutting humor and genuine humility.

It was a long, winding, boozy night. For many of the honorees, though, it felt like a thrilling starting point toward gold. On Sunday night, we’ll begin to see for which select few that proves to be true.