Selena Gomez Gushes Over Amy Schumer at the Hollywood Film Awards, Plus a Recap

The Beverly Hilton Hotel was packed with A-listers Sunday night to celebrate the 19th Annual Hollywood Film Awards, which is considered to be the unofficial launch of awards season, setting the tone for major awards shows in the months to come.

Hosted by funnyman James Corden, the Late Late Show host kept the laughs going throughout the night with his biting sense of humor, cracking jokes about everything from Hollywood Breakout Actor winner Joel Edgerton’s buzzed blonde hair (“I can’t wait to see the Eminem biopic you must be starring in,” Corden said to him) to calling the show the “IMDB in Production Awards” because there were so many films represented that haven’t been released yet.

Amy Poehler, who presented the Hollywood Director award to Pete Docter, and Hollywood Comedy Award winner Amy Schumer also had guests cracking up as they hit the stage. Schumer, who dressed to impress in a black-and-white Calvin Klein cocktail dress, was introduced by Selena Gomez, who also stunned in an elegant pink slip gown.

“I’m a huge, huge fan of Amy Schumer. I talk about her obsessively, I tweet her often, I’ve tried to re-impersonate her and it didn’t really work. I actually just met her, so what I’m saying is I’m really glad Jennifer Lawrence wasn’t able to do this tonight, and I love you,” Gomez said. "Amy you’ve inspired me to not take myself to seriously, when I sat on my couch endlessly depressed about certain things, you’ve constantly made me feel like I’m a badass even most of the time I’m not.”

Schumer then went on to give a no-holds barred acceptance speech, showing off her thighs and thinking Plan B “first and foremost” while she was at it. “[Trainwreck] was important to me, because I wanted to protect this girl’s story—my story—as someone who isn’t shy about talking about sex,” Schumer said. Carey Mulligan, who sparkled in a black, tiered Erdem dress, also had a message of girl power (in a different light), encouraging everyone to make a difference when it comes to women’s equality in the entertainment industry. “As one very well-known Suffragette said, ‘Let him who has the courage to prevent us try to do it,” Mulligan said as she accepted her Hollywood Actress Award.

Meanwhile, Vin Diesel had almost everyone in the room in tears as he, Michelle Rodriguez, and Jordana Brewster accepted the Hollywood Blockbuster Award for Furious 7. Before dedicating the award to “Pablo,” i.e. the late Paul Walker, Diesel’s voice cracked as he said, “We made a film that made the whole world cry with us. It’s impossible to receive an award and not feel emotional.”

There were more touching moments throughout the night, including Will Smith, clad in a Tom Ford suit, sharing his passion for his upcoming film Concussion and dedicating it to Dr. Bennet Omalu, the film's main subject. “[He] lived it for real and struggled to tell the truth,” Smith said, adding that the project “reinvigorated and re-inspired” him as an actor.

Robert De Niro also appeared to tear up as he accepted his Hollywood Career Achievement Award in his signature baseball cap and suit, as he got a standing ovation from the audience.

Among the many honorees and presenters on hand, New Hollywood Award winner Saoirse Ronan received her award from Ryan Gosling (a.k.a., her pal “The Gos”), who looked dapper in a black suit, as well as Reese Witherspoon, who called Benicio Del Toro “damn handsome” as she presented him with the Supporting Actor Award, and Supporting Actress Award winner Jane Fonda, who received her award from Laura Dern.