The vibes at W’s Best Performances party on Saturday were, as the saying goes, immaculate. Hosted by W Editor in Chief Sara Moonves and Editor at Large Lynn Hirschberg, the intimate soirée brought together Hollywood’s finest to celebrate Golden Globes weekend and the magazine’s newest portfolio photographed by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott. Gracing the penthouse at the storied Chateau Marmont were W cover stars and Golden Globe nominees Nicole Kidman, Cynthia Erivo, Angelina Jolie, Tilda Swinton, Demi Moore, Zoe Saldaña, and Adrien Brody. There, against a backdrop of supersized images from their W shoot, they were joined by the top names in film, television, music, and fashion.
In true W style, the evening—presented by Christian Louboutin—had the relaxed energy of a friends-and-family gathering. Kidman arrived early, hand-in-hand with her 16-year-old daughter, Sunday Rose Urban. Emilia Pérez star Karla Sofía Gascón also shared the night with her 14-year-old daughter, though at one point she joked about losing her to the bustling A-list crowd. Meanwhile, Brody, riding a wave of buzz for his role in The Brutalist, brought his parents along for the festivities. For her part, Swinton stuck close to her longtime partner Sandro Kopp, while I’m Still Here star Fernanda Torres cozied up by the fire, perched on husband Andrucha Waddington’s lap.
Casamigos Tequila cocktails flowed freely, fueling the warm, familial atmosphere that sparked several joyful cast reunions. The stars of The Bear—Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Ayo Edebiri, Matty Matheson, and Lionel Boyce—playfully exchanged banter throughout the night, while Baby Reindeer’s Richard Gadd and Jennifer Gunning took time to catch up after a whirlwind year. So, too, did Shōgun stars Anna Sawai and Hiroyuki Sanada who reconnected amid the revelry.
For many, it seemed one of the highlights of the night was the opportunity to chat with director Sean Baker and the cast of his film, Anora. Kaia Gerber was spotted fangirling over the film’s leads, Mark Eydelshteyn (aka the Russian Timothée Chalamet) and Yora Borisov. Even Daniel Craig took a moment to introduce himself to Mikey Madison, praising her unforgettable performance in the film’s title role. As for Baker, he was seen having his own fanboy moment when he asked Eydelshteyn to snap a photo of him with Edebiri.
Baker wasn’t the only acclaimed filmmaker present. The event drew a crowd of top-tier directors, including Coralie Fargeat (The Substance), Halina Reijn (Babygirl), Malcolm Washington (The Piano Lesson), Gia Coppola (The Last Showgirl), Pablo Larraín (Maria), and Luca Guadagnino (Queer). One of the night’s biggest surprises came when Queer star Drew Starkey arrived sporting a freshly bleached blond mohawk and eyebrows, leaving even Guadagnino momentarily stunned by the transformation.
Meanwhile, the pop stars everyone’s buzzing about were out in full force. Sabrina Carpenter, radiant in a Barbie-pink Vivienne Westwood dress, joined Cara Delevingne in mouthing along to her single “Taste” spun by DJ Ross One, while Charli XCX gamely swayed to her hit “360.”
On the fashion front, Hedi Slimane, now a free agent after departing Celine in October, made a rare appearance. He spent much of the night in conversation with Charli XCX, adding yet another layer of intrigue to the already electric atmosphere. Also spotted: Louis Vuitton’s Nicholas Ghesquière who spent some time chatting with Mikey Madison.
As the evening wound down, the energy turned up with guests transitioning from the outside terrace to the pink-carpeted dance floor, fueled by mini-sliders and W-branded French fries. For their parting gift, guests walked away with a limited-edition broadsheet of the Best Performances portfolio—a perfect memento for an unforgettable kick-off to the awards season to come.
Tilda Swinton and Colman Domingo
Mikey Madison, Charli XCX and Sabrina Carpenter
Sara Moonves, W Magazine Editor in Chief, Nicole Kidman, Sunday Rose Kidman Urban and Lynn Hirschberg, W Magazine Editor at Large
Adrien Brody and Cynthia Erivo
Karla Sofía Gascón, Zoe Saldana and Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie and Christian Louboutin
Ayo Edebiri and Zoe Saldaña
W Magazine Editor at Large, Lynn Hirschberg, Sabrina Carpenter and Sara Moonves
Colman Domingo and Nicole Kidman
Nicole Kidman and Sunday Rose Kidman Urban
Sara Moonves, Hedi Slimane and Lulu Tenney
Colman Domingo and Quinta Brunson
Cynthia Erivo and Zoe Saldaña
Sara Moonves and Fernanda Torres
Nicolas Ghesquière and Mikey Madison
Cynthia Erivo and Christian Louboutin
Andrew Garfield and Daniel Craig
Sara Moonves and Christian Louboutin
Nicholas Alexander Chavez
Luca Guadagnino and Sara Moonves
Ayo Edebiri and Andrew Garfield
Colman Domingo and Zoë Kravitz
Pamela Anderson and Demi Moore
Ayo Edebiri, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Matty Matheson, Ricky Staffieri and Lionel Boyce
Drew Starkey and Odessa A’zion
Jaden Smith and Tracee Ellis Ross
Andrew Wyatt and Lykke Li
Tracee Ellis Ross and Demi Moore
Marianne Jean-Baptiste and Michele Austin
Nathalie Love and Laura Love
W Magazine creative directors at large Kevin Tekinel (far left) and Charles Levai (far right), Nicole Kidman and Sunday Rose Kidman Urban
Sean Baker and Samantha Quan
Joey King and Sabrina Carpenter
Cynthia Erivo and Quinta Brunson
Coralie Fargeat, Charli XCX, Cara Delevingne and Eli Roth
Jessica Gunning and Andrew Scott
Jeff Henrikson, Luca Guadagnino and Sara Moonves
Zora Casebere, Ricky Staffieri, Lionel Boyce, Malcolm Washington and Matty Matheson
Cara Delevingne and Joey King
Monica Barbaro, Andrew Garfield, Eddie Redmayne and Lynn Hirschberg
Travis Jackson and Kaia Gerber
Dita von Teese and Pamela Anderson
Karla Sofía Gascón and Daniel Craig
Bryan Lourd and Bruce Bozzi
Keegan-Michael Key and Elle Key
Lucia Aniello and Paul W. Downs
Zoë Kravitz, Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Yelena Yemchuk
Ryan Destiny and Mikey Madison
Hannah Bagshawe, Eddie Redmayne and Andrew Garfield
Paul Arnhold and Wes Gordon
