Jan 4, 2026 12:29pm PT Dwayne Johnson Gives Emotional Speech at Variety Palm Springs Brunch: ‘We’re All Going Through it Right Now’ Teyana Taylor, Guillermo del Toro and 10 Directors to Watch also honored at Palm Springs brunch By Pat Saperstein Plus Icon Pat Saperstein Deputy Editor @Variety_PatS Latest The Best Non-Alcoholic Drinks Worth a Shot This Dry January 2 days ago New CBS Evening News Anchor Tony Dokoupil Says News Has ‘Put Too Much Weight’ on Academics and Elites: ‘The Press Has Missed the Story’ 3 days ago New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 4 days ago See All Michael Buckner/Variety As the sun started peeking through the clouds after a sudden desert deluge, the stars and filmmakers turned out for Variety‘s 10 Directors to Watch and Creative Impact Awards brunch at the Parker Hotel in Palm Springs on Sunday morning. The annual event, held the day after the Palm Springs International Film Awards, honored Dwayne Johnson with the Creative Impact in Acting Award, Teyana Taylor with the Creative Impact in Breakthrough Performance Award and Guillermo del Toro with the Creative Impact in Directing Award. Related Stories Kennedy Center Honors Ratings Plummet After Trump Takeover Jack White, 'The View' Hosts, Josh Gad and More Slam Donald Trump for 'Attacking' Rob Reiner After Tragic Death: 'Shameful and Disgraceful' Colman Domingo presented the award to Dwayne Johnson, saying, “Congratulations, my friend, you are a rock!” Popular on Variety Johnson then told a story about his fellow honoree, del Toro, and when he attended his first Golden Globes ceremony as a presenter the year “The Shape of Water” was nominated.
