Stars thank firefighters

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Stars honoured firefighters and members of the armed forces as they hit the stage for the 44th annual People's Choice Awards on Sunday.

Held at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif., the annual ceremony was filled with heartfelt moments as guests had the Veterans Day holiday and California's ongoing wildfires on their minds.

The ceremony kicked off with a performance from Nicki Minaj, who was joined by Tyga for Dip. The Super Bass hitmaker later shocked the crowd while accepting Female Artist, when she referenced Black Panther actor Michael B. Jordan, noting, "He's going to be taking this (dress) off of me tonight!"

The hip hop sensation also walked away with Album of the Year for Queen.

Accepting the night's first award for Comedic Movie (The Spy Who Dumped Me), Mila Kunis took time to acknowledge the firefighters who have been fighting the deadly wildfires throughout California.

"We are in a state of emergency," she said. "You know, I have this opportunity and I want to say if you can take a minute to donate to the LASD (Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department) Foundation it would be really, really great."

As Terry Crews and Betty Gilpin presented the award for Country Artist, they displayed a similar sentiment, taking a moment to mourn those who have lost their lives in the disaster, which began on Thursday. The two encouraged viewers to donate to the Red Cross.

Then, in his acceptance speech, winner Blake Shelton honoured his late father, a veteran.

Victoria Beckham also had those working to contain the blaze on her mind as she accepted the Fashion Icon Award.

She also described her personal journey from a member of the Spice Girls to running a fashion empire.

"If you really, really put your head down and you focus and you work hard and you believe in yourself, what you can achieve is incredible," she told the crowd. "Many years ago I started with girl power and now that message is still strong as ever."

She ended with a message for women who have faced struggle, telling them, "If you've ever been doubted, this award tonight is for all of us."

And Scarlett Johansson also took the time to thank members of the military as she was awarded Female Movie Star, noting that "they put their lives on the line so we don't have to".

Kim Kardashian, who was among the celebrities forced to evacuate their homes due to the wildfire threatening Malibu, Calabasas and Hidden Hills, among other California towns and cities, also gave an emotional speech in response to the disaster as she accepted Reality Show of 2018 for Keeping Up with the Kardashians with her sisters and mum Kris Jenner.

"We cannot face devastation alone," she said as she urged fans to donate to relief efforts. "We must continue to reach out and help each other."