Awards season has officially begun! The 31st Annual Critics Choice Awards was held recently at the Barker Hangar in Los Angeles, which had A-listers stepping out in full glam to kick off Hollywood’s most star-studded season.

Playing master of ceremonies for the fourth year in a row was comedian Chelsea Handler. In her opening monologue, she gave a social commentary on the hit film Sinners, and the pending sale of Warner Bros./Discovery. She also proffered a rave review of Heated Rivalry, the hottest series, pun intended, on TV, saying: “Gay men love it, women love it, straight men who say they aren’t gay but work out at Equinox love it!” 

She closed out her speech with a heartfelt tribute to the late director Rob Reiner (and his wife Michelle Singer-Reiner), calling him the “nicest guy in Hollywood,” saying: “Anyone who ever spent time with Rob Reiner knows that the minute you met him, he felt like an old friend.”

Taking home the evening’s top nods was the Leonardo Di Caprio-led drama One Battle After Another, which centers around a burned-out revolutionary in search of his daughter. The film won Best Picture, while writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson picked up trophies for both Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. “This is the best time I ever had making a movie, and I feel like it shows,” said the director in his acceptance speech. 

Going into awards night with 17 nominations was Ryan Coogler’s vampire-Western Sinners, starring Michael B. Jordan playing twins. They called victory in four categories — Best Original Screenplay for Coogler, Best Young Actor/Actress for Miles Caton, Best Musical Score and the inaugural Best Casting and Ensemble award. Matching them for trophy count was Netflix’s Frankenstein, winning for Best Costume Design, Best Hair & Makeup and Best Production Design, as well as Jacob Elordi’s first acting nod as Best Supporting Actor playing the film’s titular role.