The annual knees-up is being held virtually this year due to the pandemic, but that hasn’t stopped superstars including actors George Clooney, Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman and Margot Robbie from taking part.Naomi Watts said that although the pandemic had taken so much from the entertainment industry in the past year, there was reason for hope.“After a historic period of darkness, Broadway will return and the lights will be on brighter than ever,” said Naomi Watts.George Clooney presented Cate Blanchett with a lifetime achievement award and praised her advocacy activities as much as her filmmaking.“She is a consummate professional, she solves problems on a set all the time,” Clooney said.“And more than that is how she solves problems in the rest of the world.”Accepting the award, Blanchett said her success owed much to the bond between America and Australia.“My career would not be anything without the extraordinary connection between these two countries,” she said.“It’s been the great privilege of my life to be able to work inside the industries of these two countries.”Speaking on the “virtual” red carpet, the celebrities said they couldn’t wait for next year, when they would be able to gather properly.Margot Robbie said: “I wish we could be together right now celebrating this intimate and extraordinary evening.”“I am very much looking forward to next year when we can all be together,” she said during an introduction to the gala.Celebrity chef and restaurateur Curtis Stone said he was proud to take his Aussie mates each year to the G’Day gala in Los Angeles.There are “so many talented Aussies, there really are”. Host David Campbell said with good news in the form of the coronavirus vaccine rollout, it was possible to see an end to the difficulties of the past year.“It’s about looking forward to a brighter, better future,” he said of the gala.“We can finally see a future where going out doesn’t mean stepping out on your porch.”Author Liane Moriarty was praised by Kidman and producer Bruno Papandrea, who worked together on the Big Little Lies adaptation.“You’ve evolved from a fiction powerhouse to a force of nature. We have loved being on this ride with you, our friend, our collaborator,” said Kidman as they announced her Excellence in Literature Award.Papandrea said: “There is no-one in this world who writes beautiful, complex characters better than Liane.”The first indigenous Australian to be awarded the Excellence in Television award, actor Aaron Pederson was credited as an “inspiration” by legendary performer Jack Thompson.“It is a pleasure to present this award to my mate, the great Aaron Pedersen,” Thompson said.An emotional Tasma Walton also praised her fellow actor.“What Aaron was able to do every time he played a new character was break those … stereotypes and bring into the story a fully-formed strong, indigenous man to our screens,” she said.Kidman and husband Keith Urban met at a G’Day gala back in 2005 and everyone who tunes into today’s event will have a chance to win a guitar signed by the Grammy-winning country music star.In a pre-show appearance, Kidman revealed that her sister Antonia was first to comment on Urban on the night that the pair met in 2005.“Doesn’t get better than that,” Antonia said to her after they watched Urban give a speech.The annual G’Day event has been combined for the first time with the American Australian Association Arts Gala.Singer Olivia Newton John, Crocodile Dundee creator Paul Hogan and supermodel Elle Macpherson are also among the G’day regulars who joined the virtual red carpet.
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