Adam McKay, Jamie Dornan and Dónall Ó Héalai were among the honourees at the 16th annual Oscar Wilde Awards in Los Angeles on Thursday night.
The Oscar Wilde Awards are organised by the US-Ireland Alliance to celebrate the contribution Ireland makes to film, television and music.
McKay, who has been nominated for four Academy Awards for his Netflix film Don't Look Up, spoke about his family ancestry from Northern Ireland and Donegal while accepting his Oscar Wilde Award.
The director, producer and screenwriter noted how much Ireland has changed for the better since his ancestors left.
"I just love the Irish people. I'm going back there soon to write another script," he said.
During Belfast star Jamie Dornan's speech, the Northern Irish actor said he had been asked a few times before to receive an Oscar Wilde Award, but he didn't feel that his work was good enough.
He became emotional while speaking about his family and his experience of working with Kenneth Branagh on Belfast, describing it as "the greatest honour of my career."
Dornan also said he would "endeavour to tell stories from that complicated island as long as I’m allowed to" and "that if you’re lucky enough to be Irish, then you are lucky enough."
Branagh, who recently broke records by becoming the first person nominated in seven Oscar categories, accepted his Oscar Wilde Award via a taped speech, as he couldn't be at the ceremony in person after reportedly testing positive for Covid-19.
The filmmaker spoke about how as a 9-year-old boy growing up in Belfast there were only a few ways he could "see some light through the dark cloud that was the onset of the Troubles."
One light that was that of "the super bright light coming from the projection booth" at the local cinema that "threw out all those beams of dreams all the way from Hollywood".
He continued: "Another was the light in the eyes of those incredible wise warrior women, amazingly embodied by Caitriona Balfe in our film, who would step in front of any obstacles rather than see their family harmed.
"And, finally, the light that was the songs, the dances, the music, and the jokes. In short, the humanity, and the humour, that is part of the spirit of the Irish people."
While accepting the Wilde Card Award, Ó Héalai spoke about how he almost gave up acting, and when he stopped chasing his dream he was sent the script for Arracht, which has changed his life.
Performing at this year's Oscar Wilde Awards were Irish band True Tides and duo Loah & Bantum.
The Oscars will be held on Sunday, 27 March at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
