Hear what the stars said on the red carpet of the Palm Springs International Film Awards Jan. 3, 2026.
What to know about the 2026 Palm Springs International Film Awards
The 2026 Palm Springs International Film Awards will be a star-studded evening.
Hollywood’s biggest stars have officially arrived in the desert, dazzling on the red carpet at the Palm Springs International Film Awards on Saturday, Jan. 3.
The carpet was full of actors from some of the buzziest films of 2024, including “Sinners,” “One Battle After Another” and “Sentimental Value.” Several were also receiving honors for their work, including Timothée Chalamet for “Marty Supreme” and Amanda Seyfried for “The Testament of Ann Lee.”
Here’s what the stars told us before the start of the awards ceremony.
Sinners movie cast star Michael B. Jordan took a few items from set
Michael B. Jordan shares what he took home from ‘Sinners’ set
Michael B. Jordan received the Icon Award at the Palm Springs International Film Awards.
Jordan received the Icon Award, Actor, on Saturday for his dual performance in “Sinners.”
The next few weeks will be quite busy for the performer, who is up for best actor at the Critics Choice Awards (Jan. 4) and Golden Globes (Jan. 11). But he said he’s taking it all one step at a time.
“The headspace for me is one day at a time, one step at a time, one event at a time. I’m in the middle of editing as well, so I’m kind of dipping between the two, which is a nice break a little bit from all the noise, kind of keeps it about the work,” Jordan said. “It’s double duty, but it feels good to start something off on the right foot.”
“Sinners” was special to Jordan in a number of ways, and he managed to sneak a few things home from set, including his characters’ lighter, grills, hats, dice and cigarettes.
Among Jordan’s next projects is “The Thomas Crown Affair,” which he will direct and star in. He couldn’t share too much, but he said it’s a reimagination and “more dense than the other films with a bit of a twist to it, more than your usual heist love story. It’s a pretty layered film, I would like to think, and fun.”
Jordan also couldn’t contain his excitement when he spotted fellow honoree Seyfried on the red carpet, sharing that he “loves her” and even hugging each other briefly after she leaned over for a kiss on the cheek.
Kate Hudson doesn’t feel like an icon, but she’ll ‘take it’
Kate Hudson on being an icon, doing more musicals in future
Kate Hudson received the Icon Award, Actress, at the Palm Springs International Film Awards.
Hudson received the Icon Award, Actress, Saturday for her dramatic and raw work in “Song Sung Blue.”
When asked if she felt like an icon, she said, “What does that mean? I mean, no, but I’ll take it.”
“It’s allowed me to reflect a lot on my career in writing this speech. It took me a long time to write this speech, and I feel like I just feel so lucky and blessed to be here is really what it is,” Hudson said. “And to have the career that I’ve had, the successes, the failures, all of it, I just feel really lucky to be in the place I’m at right now.”
In “Song Sung Blue,” Hudson shows off her vocal talents as she takes on the true story of a Milwaukee couple who start a Neil Diamond tribute band. She’s no stranger to music, as she’s released albums in the past and starred in the movie musical “Nine.” Could more be on the way for her?
“Oh yeah, music guides my life, so whether it be making more albums or being in more musicals, we all need music,” she said. “It’s the great language to me, and I love seeing them represented this year, so hopefully we’ll be making more of them.”
Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal gush over ‘Hamnet’ director Chloe Zhao
Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal on working with Chloé Zhao for ‘Hamnet’
“Hamnet” stars Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal hit the rest carpet at the Palm Springs International Film Awards.
“Hamnet” stars Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal hit the red carpet with their director, Chloé Zhao, at the Film Awards. The team received the Vanguard Award, which recognizes a film’s cast and director for their work on an exceptional film project.
In an earlier interview with The Desert Sun, Zhao shared that Buckley and Mescal made her a better director. On the red carpet, the two actors shared that Zhao had a profound effect on them as well.
“I think she reminded me of what it is to be an artist, and the journey you can go on if you want to actually touch something that you haven’t been brave enough to touch,” Buckley said. “She’s an incredible leader, she invites everybody into the story and wants everybody’s imagination to run wild. I just love her, I love her, she’s changed my life.”
Mescal added: “She’s a director that fundamentally leads with her heart and not her head … and if she’s saying we made her a better director, she’s made me a better actor, she’s made me a better human being, and I’ll hold that dear in my heart forever.”
Ethan Hawke reflects on his career, sustaining his passions
Ethan Hawke reflects on his career at the Palm Springs Film Awards
Ethan Hawke received the Career Achievement Award at the Palm Springs International Film Awards.
Ethan Hawke was the recipient of the Career Achievement Award Saturday, which he joked sounded “important … my mother would be proud.”
His career has included a number of iconic films, including the “Before” triology, “Boyhood,” “Dead Poets Society” and, most recently, “Blue Moon.” Reflecting on his storied filmography, the Academy Award nominee said having a career means he’s “managed to survive.”
“It’s hard to make one good movie, it’s really hard, and to try to figure out how to keep breathing and keep putting one foot in front of the other, keep trying to contribute, keep trying to grow, not let your successes atrophy you and turn you into an arrogant idiot, and not letting your failures wither your determination,” Hawke said. “When someone talks about a career, that’s what I think about: sustaining your passion, keeping your love alive, keeping your curiosity alive.”
“It’s easy to get cynical, it’s super easy to roll your eyes at everything, and you’re not wrong to do it, there’s a lot to roll your eyes at. But try to have a healthy balance of being critical of what’s around you and still believe that something could be better,” he added.
(This story was updated to fix a promo image.)
Ema Sasic covers entertainment and health in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at [email protected] or on Twitter @ema_sasic.
