Curtis tasks HFPA audience to 'get some skin in the game'

(AP) — Politics were top of mind for Jamie Lee Curtis, who hosted the Hollywood Foreign Press Association's annual grants presentation Thursday evening at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel.

Curtis spoke in broad terms about the HFPA's generosity in awarding nearly $2.4 million in grants to over 55 charities, educational institutions, and film preservation efforts, before going off script with some words about the election.

In the 90 minute ceremony, Curtis later spoke about how 2016 is shaping up to be the year of the woman, saying that she believes that in November that the political glass ceiling will be shattered.

The two men, who were lighthearted in spite of a malfunctioning teleprompter, accepted a grant on behalf of the American Film Institute's Directing Workshop for Women.

The HFPA has long shared a portion of its awards-show earnings with schools, arts organizations and film restoration projects, and stars often unconnected with those groups accept the grants on their behalf.

Recipients included CalArts, UCLA, the American Film Institute, Loyola Marymount, the Echo Park Film Center, Ghetto Film School and the Film Foundation.