The star takes the opportunity to speak out this evening in tribute to Leonardo DiCaprio

Tuesday night, on a red carpet inside Cipriani 42nd Street in Midtown Manhattan, a group of celebrities, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Emily Blunt, Rose Byrne and Benicio Del Toro, posed for the cameras.

Among them was Chase Infiniti, 25, who plays the plucky daughter of a failed revolutionary played by Mr. DiCaprio in the action thriller “One Battle After Another.” She was experiencing a “surreal” awards season, she said, and had just attended the Golden Globes, where she was nominated for best actress in a musical or comedy.

But for Ms. Infiniti, who was receiving the National Board of Review’s Breakthrough Performance Award at its annual film awards gala, she had other things on her mind.

“‘I love ‘Heated Rivalry,'” she said, her eyes bright as she talked about the steamy HBO Max series about two professional hockey players, which has become a hit since it began streaming in November. (Stars Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams presented at the Globes on Sunday night.) “There were so many moments on this show where I literally jumped up and down because I was so excited.”

“But don’t spoil the ending, I haven’t gotten to the cabin yet!” she added, referring to the setting of the series’ final episode.

Ms. Infiniti was among hundreds of actors, directors and producers who attended the event, for which winners are announced in advance. Mr. DiCaprio, Ms. Byrne and Ryan Coogler were honored, and Martin Scorsese, Michael B. Jordan, Paul Rudd and Maggie Gyllenhaal were presenters. The National Board of Review, a group of movie buffs, filmmakers and academics, honored the best films and performances of the past year.

A traditionally irreverent, non-televised gathering, the gala has become an annual East Coast stop for stars campaigning for the Oscars.

This year’s big winner was “One Battle After Another,” the neo-western epic from director Paul Thomas Anderson. He continued his streak of first place finishes at ceremonies such as the Golden Globes, Gotham Awards and the New York Film Critics Circle. On Tuesday night, it won awards for best picture, best director (Mr. Anderson), actor (Mr. DiCaprio), best supporting actor (Mr. Del Toro) and best performance (Ms. Infiniti).

Other winners include Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi’s prison drama “It Was Just an Accident,” which he filmed in secret (best international film); Mr. Coogler’s vampire thriller “Sinners” (best original screenplay and outstanding film direction); and Ms. Byrne for her role in the motherhood drama “If I Had Legs, I’d Kick You” (Best Actress).

The evening began with a dinner of salmon, asparagus and roast potatoes, served on tables topped with a variety of gifts from the featured films. “Morning Joe” co-anchor Willie Geist kicked off the awards portion of the evening, which included lengthy speeches — often exceeding the 10-minute mark — peppered with profanity.

Unlike the Globes, which were generally an apolitical affair, several winners drew attention to current events in their acceptance speeches. Mr. Coogler, who was honored for his screenplay for “Sinners,” referenced the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis this month.

He and Mr. Jordan, the film’s star, were honored by the jury in 2014 for the first film they made together, “Fruitvale Station,” based on the true story of a black man shot by a white police officer on a subway platform in Oakland, California, in 2009.

“I was young and naive, and I thought the film was going to change the world and make it so that we would no longer see on camera people executed by the civil service,” Mr. Coogler said. “I’ve been proven wrong over and over again. And it’s hard to be here and not think about Minnesota.”

“I can’t be here without thinking of Renée,” he added.

Mr. Panahi, who was imprisoned and banned from filming in his home country of Iran, used his acceptance speech to draw attention to the violent crackdown on protesters challenging the Iranian government.

“The Islamic Republic caused a bloodbath to delay its collapse,” Mr. Panahi said through an interpreter. “Bodies pile up on bodies, and those who survived search for traces of their loved ones through mountains of corpses. It’s no longer a metaphor. It’s not a story. It’s not a movie. It’s a reality riddled with bullets day after day.”

“In accepting this award, I consider it my duty to call on artists and members of the global film community to speak out and not remain silent,” he continued. “Use whatever voice and whatever platform you have. Call on your governments, call on your governments to confront this human catastrophe rather than turn a blind eye. Don’t let the blood dry in the darkness of amnesia.”