Josh O'Connor honors pal Zendaya with Gotham tribute award: 'A generational talent'

NEW YORK – "Challengers" fever hasn't quite broken as awards season begins in earnest.

Zendaya was honored with the spotlight tribute at Monday's Gotham Independent Film Awards, the first major awards show on the road to the 2025 Oscars. But the event doubled as a "Challengers" reunion, with Josh O'Connor presenting his co-star the award.

The actor joked he thought about repurposing the speech he delivered at his brother's wedding, which "worked remarkably well" until the part about his brother beating him at tennis.

"Let it be known that Zendaya's never beaten me on a tennis court," he quipped. "It's never happened."

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'You're a born leader,' Josh O'Connor said of 'Challengers' co-star Zendaya

O'Connor, who played Patrick opposite Zendaya's Tashi Duncan in the acclaimed tennis drama, praised the actress for "her generosity" and "immense, shape-shifting versatility." He also remembered being nervous on his first day on "Challengers" until she calmed his nerves by assuring him, "It's OK, bro. I don't know what I'm doing either."

"You're a born leader, a generational talent, a friend, and most importantly, a kind heart," he added.

The "Euphoria" star thanked O'Connor for his "beautiful" speech before joking, "We hate giving each other compliments, so I'm going to get you back for that!" In her remarks, she identified one thing that she and her "Challengers" character have in common: "We love what we do."

Zendaya was back on stage not long after to present another tribute award to her "Dune" director, Denis Villeneuve, whom she called a "generous visionary." Backstage, the filmmaker told USA TODAY he was "not expecting to be moved" as much as he was listening to her speech.

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Angelina Jolie on how art played a pivotal role growing up

There was no shortage of star power at the ceremony, with Angelina Jolie also in attendance to receive the performer tribute award. Jolie, who plays opera singer Maria Callas in "Maria," recalled how her mother prioritized art when she was growing up and had so many books that she even kept some in the oven.

"It is so important that art is taught in our schools, and so concerning that many of those programs are being reduced," Jolie said.

The "Maleficent" star also gave a shout-out to her daughter, Vivienne, reflecting on "the joy" of seeing her "love theater and getting involved."

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'A Different Man' earns Oscar boost after shock Gothams win: 'Totally stunned'

"A Different Man," which stars Sebastian Stan as a man with neurofibromatosis who undergoes a physical transformation, pulled off a surprise win to take the night's top award of best feature – and no one was more astonished than its director, Aaron Schimberg.

Noting he had not prepared a speech and would have to "wing" it, he said he was likely "not the only person in this room who's totally stunned by this."

The award gave "A Different Man" a boost in the Oscars' best picture race. Since 2019, 4 out of 5 Gothams best feature winners went on to be nominated for the best picture Academy Award, and two won the top Oscar: "Nomadland" and "Everything Everywhere All at Once."

This year's ostensible best picture frontrunner, "Anora," walked away from the Gothams empty-handed despite four nominations.

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Colman Domingo and Clarence Maclin of 'Sing Sing' take home Gotham Awards

Two of the Gothams' acting awards went to the stars of "Sing Sing," with Colman Domingo winning as lead and Clarence Maclin snagging the supporting actor prize.

Maclin, a formerly incarcerated man, plays himself in the film, which follows a theater group at Sing Sing Correctional Facility. The movie was also honored with the social justice tribute award.

In an emotional speech, Sean "Dino" Johnson, another formerly incarcerated man who stars in "Sing Sing," said he and his fellow cast members are "living proof that no matter where you start, you should always be able to dream of where you can go and be."

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Backstage, Domingo told USA TODAY he was "shocked" to win best actor and that it "meant the world to me" to see Maclin honored alongside him. "I wanted it for him more than I wanted it for myself," he said.

Could a best supporting actor Academy Award nod be next for Maclin? The actor is already looking ahead to March, as after posing for photos, he told reporters, "See y'all at the Oscars!"

"Nickel Boys," the drama based on Colson Whitehead's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, also fared well at the Gothams, taking best director (RaMell Ross) and breakthrough performer (Brandon Wilson).

Breakthrough director winner Vera Drew thanks Nicole Kidman for 'the moment I realized I was trans'

The breakthrough director award went to Vera Drew for "The People's Joker," which turns the origin of the Joker into a trans-coming-of-age story made without approval from Warner Bros. This capped a dramatic journey for the film, which was trapped in release limbo for nearly two years due to copyright objections.

Drew thanked "Warner Bros. for not suing me" and gave an unexpected tip-of-the-hat to Nicole Kidman, who was nominated for her film "Babygirl."

"Ms. Kidman, I don't know where you're sitting, but when I was 6 years old, I saw 'Batman Forever' in the theater in Baraboo, Wisconsin, and it was probably the moment I realized I was trans," Drew said. "I want to thank you for working with Joel Schumacher. And also God."

The full list of 2024 Gotham Awards winners:

? Best feature: "A Different Man"

? Best director: RaMell Ross, "Nickel Boys"

? Outstanding lead performance: Colman Domingo, "Sing Sing"

? Outstanding supporting performance: Clarence Maclin, "Sing Sing"

? Best screenplay: "His Three Daughters"

? Best international feature: "All We Imagine as Light"

? Best documentary feature: "No Other Land"

? Breakthrough director: Vera Drew, "The People's Joker"

? Breakthrough performer: Brandon Wilson, "Nickel Boys"

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Zendaya, Angelina Jolie catapult into Oscar race at Gotham Awards 2024