Awards Begin @Sundance: Alan Cumming Hearts Ewan McGregor

What would a festival be without awards? In the this-is-a-first department: Alan Cumming presented Ewan McGregor a Ray-Ban award last night. "This has got to be a first: a Scottish actor presenting an award to another Scottish actor up a mountain in Utah," he said, handing the podium over to his countryman.

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Later in the evening, we sat next to the wickedly charming Cumming at the Humane Society dinner in honor of Top Model fashion photographer Nigel Barker’s documentary, A Sealed Fate?. As we discussed bad film hairdos and Mr. McGregor’s general sexiness and onscreen nudity ("I never refuse when asked”, noted Cumming, “as it’s good for people to see naked people at every age"), Paris Hilton was presented with an award in honor of her support of the save-the-seals cause. “We all have cats and dogs we love, and they’re animals, and seals are the same,” said Paris, unofficial BFF to baby seals, accepting her commemorative plaque. For his part, Barker told BlackBook he’d been a fan of seals since he was a wee lad in the UK, and his passion for the cause stems from the brutality he witnessed firsthand while making the film. Also a spokesman for sharks, he said, “If I saw someone being beaten up across the street, I’d try to stop that, too—I’d either call the police or break it up myself.” Bravo, Nigel.