Lopez, visibly moved, accepted her award with heartfelt gratitude, expressing her disbelief at having to follow Washington’s glowing introduction. “Thank you to The Hollywood Reporter for this Equity in Entertainment Award. I am deeply honored,” she stated. “When we discuss equity in entertainment, I speak from personal experience.”

Reflecting on her early career, Lopez recounted feeling like an underdog, recalling how she was often pigeonholed into certain roles. “I was told in countless ways what roles someone like me should play. But then ‘Selena’ came along,” she shared. “It was a transformative film for my career.”

Lopez took the stage to accept the award and was visibly choked up, noting that she was “so humbled” and didn’t know how she would “follow that, what [Kerry Washington] just said” in her speech. “Thank you to The Hollywood Reporter for this Equity in Entertainment Award. I really am honored,” she said. “When we talk about equity in entertainment, I, like so many others in this room, speak from experience.

She spoke about her career beginnings and feeling like an underdog. “I was told in 100 different ways what roles people like me were expected to play, and I played some of those roles. I saw how stereotypes try to box me in before I even had the chance to show what I could really do. And then “Selena” came along.”

Lopez shared how impactful “Selena” was for her. “It was a film that changed the course of my career,” she said. She also thanked Latina entertainment trailblazers like Chita Rivera, Rita Moreno, Dolores del Río, and Katie Huvado. “Latina women who opened doors long before I ever dreamed of this career,” she said. “I have tried to choose stories that show the fullness of who we are. Latinos, yes, but also Black and brown talent, indigenous artists, LGBTQ+ communities, immigrants, women, non-binary, people with disabilities.”

Oscar award-winner, Paltrow accepted the Sherry Lansing Leadership Award. This award comes after a five-year hiatus from acting. She’s set to star in A24’s Marty Supreme, directed by Josh Safdie and co-starring Timothée Chalamet. “To be here among you is really a gift. I really feel it. I have a real felt sense of this community this morning — a community that seems to be OK with all of my iterations and has welcomed me back,” Paltrow said, choking up as the audience applauded.

She continued thanking her husband, Glee co-creator Brad Falchuk, “Thank you to the most feminist man I know who lets me be my full self every day.” Paltrow continued, “Thank you to the women here and not here… all the women in this business who have been by my side all these years. And congratulations to Jennifer [Lopez], who was such an amazing example of this powerful declaration of being who you are.”

The program made sure to offer a thoughtful, heartfelt tribute to Diane Keaton, who died in October. Academy Award-winning actress Goldie Hawn and Sarah Paulson tearfully led a tribute to their longtime friend Keaton. Hawn and Keaton co-starred in the 1996 comedy film “The First Wives Club,” and before her speech, a montage video of Keaton’s most impactful work played for the audience. She just felt so much joy, so much life, so much exuberance. She was like lightning in a bottle. There wasn’t anything that she couldn’t do. There wasn’t any world that she couldn’t live in. She was just an extraordinary human being,” Hawn began.

She noted Keaton’s tenacity when facing trials and tribulations throughout her life. “What do powerful women do? You lose in love. You have issues in your life. And we do what we have to do, we keep moving along one step in front of the other, in front of the other. It’s the only way we make it. Don’t let things knock you down, because they will. Whatever we believe in, whatever we want, but we want to do, do it. It’s up to us, and that’s who she was,” Hawn stated.

Paulson honored Keaton by showcasing their intimate friendship through a reading of the text messages the actress left for her. The two met while co-starring in the 1999 movie “The Other Sister.” “Someone who was a dear friend of mine for over 25 years, a person beloved by the world. Her name was Diane Keaton Hall, and she was surely one of the great loves of my life. I was actually in this room at the same event when I presented Diane with the Sherry Lansing Leadership Award in 2012,” she shared.

She proceeded to share some of the text messages with the audience.

• Moron, what is your address? 6:30, Diane Keaton, actress.”
• “Sarah, I hate your phone. It is always full, and I can never leave a message.”

Paulson ended her speech by sharing an email she wishes she could send to Keaton today. “Dear Dum-Dum, I wanna tell you I’m sorry my voicemail was always full. I want to tell you I’m sorry I wasn’t available by the time you called. I want to tell you how much crummier the world is without you in it. I want to tell you everything that happened in my life in the 54 days since you left,” she read. “I want to tell you how the world lost its mind with grief the day you died. And I want to tell you, I will miss you forever, and I continue to be a moron, and I know that you would be heartened to know that. But most of all, I just want to say thank you. Thank you for being my friend, Sarah Paulson.”

The breakfast gala was sponsored by Delta Air Lines, Medicube, Reyka Vodka, Seven Bucks Productions, and in partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles, Entertainment Industry Foundation, Gersh, Chapman University, and Loyola Marymount University.