NEW YORK ‒ Oscar contenders came together on the East Coast for another leg of awards season on Wednesday, but the tragic incidents happening in California were on everyone’s minds.

Adrien Brody received the best actor award for “The Brutalist” at the prestigious New York Film Critics Circle Awards gala, adding to his accolades following a recent Golden Globe victory.

While delivering his acceptance speech, Brody became emotional as he addressed the devastating wildfires ravaging Los Angeles, which have forced over 100,000 people to evacuate and led to at least five fatalities.

“I can’t ignore the heavy thoughts that are on all of our minds and in our hearts tonight,” the actor shared. “It’s been a tough day for me. Accepting an award like this feels challenging when there is so much pain in the world. I extend my sympathy to all the families, animals, and colleagues affected.”

Continuing with his heartfelt remarks, Brody added, “This is our community. I want to express my gratitude to the first responders for their courage and the sacrifices they make, as they deserve our acknowledgement tonight. My thoughts are with everyone impacted by this terrible situation.”

Many award recipients referenced the California wildfires throughout the night, including director Sean Baker of “Anora,” who won the best screenplay award. “Our thoughts and prayers should be with those affected by the fires in LA,” he stated at the start of his speech.

While introducing Baker, director Jim Jarmusch of “The Dead Don’t Die” noted that the crisis is “brought to you by climate deniers,” adding that while some criticize the ‘woke’ movement, he believes it’s time to “wake up.”

“The Brutalist” was celebrated as the best film by the New York film critics, marking another significant win for the 3½-hour drama that also took home the Golden Globe for best drama film on Sunday.

Robert Pattinson surprised the audience by presenting the award to director Brady Corbet, with whom he collaborated on “The Childhood of a Leader.” In his speech, Corbet reflected on how it took him and his wife “years to rebuild” after their house burned down eight years ago.

“My heart goes out to everyone in Los Angeles County,” he stated.

Kieran Culkin Gets Teary-Eyed Over Claire Danes’ ‘Incredibly Kind’ Speech

Is anyone enjoying this awards season more than Kieran Culkin?

The “Succession” star won the best supporting actor award for “A Real Pain” at the NYFCC, marking his third win in just four days following victories at the Golden Globes and the National Board of Review Awards.

The award was presented by his longtime friend Claire Danes, who co-starred with Culkin in the 2002 film “Igby Goes Down.” She praised Culkin as “one of the most alive, most dexterous, most kinetic actors out there,” reminiscing about their enduring friendship.

“We’ve been doing this a long time,” she mentioned. “When we worked together on ‘Igby Goes Down,’ we were just kids. Now, we both have children. It’s quite something!”

Danes referred to Culkin as a “marvel” and concluded with, “Congratulations, my friend. You deserve this award and so much more.”

When he stepped onto the stage, Culkin seemed taken aback by the kindness of Danes’ introduction. He humorously remarked, “That was incredibly sweet. I wish I could have been listening in.”

With a more serious tone, he added, “Wow, that was really nice. I’m not quite sure how to react to that. I think I’ll just have a martini and try to digest it all. You are such a wonderful person. I love you dearly.”

Sean Baker reveals his mom ‘hates’ his films, advised him against making ‘Anora’

While accepting the best screenplay award for “Anora,” Baker shared with New York film critics that “my mother wouldn’t support your decision” to honor him.

“That’s accurate. I doubt she even finished watching ‘Red Rocket,'” he mentioned, alluding to his 2021 project. “After seeing part of it, she inquired about what I was working on next. I proposed ‘Anora’ to her over the phone, and she bluntly responded, ‘Sean, that’s not what people want to see!'”

“I adore my mother. She’s incredible and, in fact, it’s her passion for cinema that brought me here. But she genuinely dislikes my films,” he acknowledged.

Baker generated laughter as he read a segment from the “Anora” screenplay, which humorously just included the line “Ani and Ivan have sex” repeated with different locations.

“You just gave this the best screenplay award,” he quipped. “You can’t take it back!”

Complete list of winners from the New York Film Critics Circle:

Best film: “The Brutalist”

Best director: RaMell Ross, “Nickel Boys”

Best screenplay: Sean Baker, “Anora”

Best actress: Marianne Jean-Baptiste, “Hard Truths”

Best actor: Adrien Brody, “The Brutalist”

Best supporting actress: Carol Kane, “Between the Temples”

Best supporting actor: Kieran Culkin, “A Real Pain”

Best foreign language film: “All We Imagine as Light”

Best cinematography: Jomo Fray, “Nickel Boys”

Best nonfiction film: “No Other Land”

Best first film: “Janet Planet”

Best animated film: “Flow”