Jameson Empire Awards 2014
The awards show with the most booze, the least rules and the most diverse guest list, the Empire Awards.
With the likes of Tom Cruise, Arnold Schwarzenegger and The Inbetweeners all on the red carpet, it signalled the way for what will be an incredible finish to the awards season.
The biggest winner of the night was (unsurprisingly) Alfonso Cuaron he won for Best Director and Best Film. While he wasn’t at the event he did appear via video link to accept his awards.
Host, and star of The Hobbit trilogy James Nesbitt welcomed in the audience with less of the polished auto-cue script that you might hear from Stephen Fry, but with all the humour and wit you would expect from a drunk Irishman.
Opening with a song sang to the tune of ‘That’s Why The Lady Is A Tramp’ he impressed with a decent Sinatra-style singing voice.
He finished off the opener with the not so subtle jab at the Academy Awards, “We don’t need Oscars – they’re just for phonies and scamps / That is why Empire is for champs.”
Other awards that were presented were Best Male and Female newcomers that were collected by Aidan Turner (The Hobbit: The Desolations Of Smaug) and Margot Robbie (The Wolf Of Wall Street).
All the awards of the night were voted for by readers of Empire magazine, which this year celebrates it’s 25th Anniversary.
To commemorate this milestone there were two special awards that were created just for this years ceremony.
Collecting the first ‘Empire 25th Award: The Legend of Our Lifetime’ was Tom Cruise, who also conveniently appears on the front cover of this months Empire magazine.
Arnold Schwarzenegger collected the second of the anniversary awards The Action Hero Of Our Lifetime.
The Empire Awards, while they are an international awards ceremony, there is considerable favour given to British film, and rightly so. 12 Years a Slave, Filth and Saving Mr Banks all picked awards in various acting categories.
Hugh Jackman also managed to take home an award, Empire Icon.
Jackman, who will reprise his role as Wolverine in May in X-Men: Days Of Future Past for the eighth time is very popular with Empire and their readers.
The full list of winners, back stage interviews, and the live stream are all available to catch up on. as well photo galleries and red carpet arrivals there is plenty to keep you distracted from work for at least the next 20 minutes.