Best dressed at the Academy Museum Gala: The Substance’s Margaret Qualley and Demi Moore stunned in Chanel and Prada respectively – plus Kim Kardashian, Kaia Gerber, Eva Longoria, Ayo Edebiri and more

Oct 21 , 2024

Kaia Gerber, Ayo Edebiri and Ariana Grande were among the best dressed celebrities at the Academy Museum Gala in Los Angeles. Photos: AFP, EPA-EFE

First held in 2021, the gala this year honoured Aftersun and Normal People actor Paul Mescal, actress and dancer Rita Moreno, and legendary director Quentin Tarantino

Award season officially kicked off in Los Angeles with the Academy Museum Gala, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures’ biggest fundraising event – and a highlight on the Los Angeles social calendar.

Held at the Renzo Piano-designed museum in West Hollywood, the event raises funds for the cultural institution. The venue opened in 2021 and has quickly become one of Los Angeles’ most visited museums.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences – the entity behind the Oscars – was founded in 1927 as a non-profit corporation. It works with companies such as Swiss watchmaker Rolex, a founding supporter of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, to celebrate the art of filmmaking.

Puerto Rican – born American actress Rita Moreno was honoured at the 4th Academy Museum Gala in Los Angeles. Photo: AFP

The gala was first held in 2021. This year, it honoured Academy Award-nominated actor Paul Mescal; Academy Award-winning actress, singer and dancer Rita Moreno; as well as two-time Academy Award-winning writer and director Quentin Tarantino, who in his acceptance speech called the museum “a cathedral to movies”.

Irish actor and honoree Paul Mescal attended the gala in a Gucci suit. Photo: EPA-EFE

Celebrities such as Selena Gomez, Tom Hanks, Kim Kardashian and Ariana Grande, as well as luminaries ranging from Steven Spielberg to Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos, graced the glamorous event.

The occasion kicked off with a dinner on the top floor of the museum and ended with a performance by Cynthia Erivo, who stars with Grande in the upcoming film Wicked.

Uma Thurman (in Fendi) and director Quentin Tarantino, who directed her in Pulp Fiction. The director was honoured at the gala. Photo: Reuters

In an interview on the day before the gala, Janet Yang, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, referred to the fundraiser as “the Met Gala of the West Coast” and described its success not only in raising funds, but also bringing awareness to the largest museum in the United States devoted to the arts, sciences and artists of moviemaking.

Here are the best dressed celebrities from the A-list event: