Best and worst dressed celebs at the 2020 E! People's Choice Awards

The red carpet drought seems to be coming to an end, and whether these events are being pre-recorded or taking place purely on social media, we couldn’t be happier. Especially as the latest one for the E! People’s Choice Awards was a riot of daring and colourful fashion.

Now in its 46th edition, this annual awards ceremony celebrates A-listers in the entertainment industry by handing out accolades in a host of categories ranging from Animal Star of the Year to top Comedy Act. The winners are all chosen by fans.

This year saw Springbok legend Siya Kolisi honoured as African Trailblazer of the Year for the charity work he’s done with the Kolisi Foundation.

The acknowledgment of local luminaries did not stop there.

Musician Sho Madjozi and Miss Universe Zozibini Tunzi were each nominated for African Social Star of 2020, while Charlize Theron was up for both Female Movie Actress and Action Movie Star of the Year. Sadly, none of these talented women took home trophies, but they will always be winners in our eyes.

Now, let's get on to the red carpet.

Here are the winners and losers in the style stakes:

BEST DRESSED

Jennifer Lopez

Winner of the People’s Icon of 2019 and co-host for the evening, J-Lo showed us once again why she’s a favourite on any red carpet.

With not a hair out of place and her make-up done to the nines, Lopez kept her styling simple to allow her red dress from Christian Siriano's Spring 21 collection to shine. Mini but mighty, this garment was equal parts sexy and stylish, and got us excited for this year's coming runway shows.

Tracee Ellis Ross

Winning the Fashion Icon Award means your red carpet look needs to be on point, and on point Ellis Ross was.

Wearing this season’s favourite colour — brown — The High Note actress looked elegant in a wide-legged Schiaparelli pants suit, which was set off perfectly by gold jewellery and a pop of red lipstick.

As befits a fashion icon, Ellis Ross switched things up when it came time to collecting her trophy, opting for a fashion-forward white "mullet" dress with a leather corset by Alexander McQueen. She kept the red lippy, traded her gold jewellery for silver, and completed her look with heaven-high leather boots. Perfection.

We feel sorry for whoever wins this award next year. What could they possibly wear that could live up to her striking look?

Demi Lovato

The singer and co-host made many wardrobe changes throughout the evening, but it was her first look — a bright orange jumpsuit — that took first prize.

This bedazzled garment needed no extra frills, so we applaud Lovato for wisely keeping her styling subtle. Her choice of jewels packed a punch without being OTT, while long raven locks and make-up were the cherries on top of a delicious orange-flavoured cake

WORST DRESSED

Jameela Jamil

You’d think the more red carpets someone sets foot on, the more likely they’d be to feature on our best dressed list. Sadly, frequency of attendance does not translate into style.

Case in point? Jamil in this over-sized pink suit, an outfit which seems clunky and ill-conceived.

Don’t get us wrong, we love to see stars taking fashion risks. However the more risky the look, the cleaner the styling should be. You’d think the floral "brooch’"detailing would be enough, but The Good Place actress added more visual clutter in the form of large earrings, strong cat-eye make-up and a matching lippy. Less is more, Jamil!

Tiffany Haddish

Sadly, no matter how you style them, some outfits are just too far gone to save. This seems to be the case with the look from funny lady and winner of the Female Movie Star of the Year award, Tiffany Haddish.

We can’t fault Haddish's choice of accessories, make-up or hair — in fact we wish more stars would opt for this sort of beauty look . It’s the dress we have an issue with.

From the shiny grandmother-like material and bedazzled neckline to the tacky broach ruching the fabric above the thigh-high split, this Prabal Gurung number is problematic and gets a firm "no" from us.

Sofia Vergara

It seems the red carpet tripped up many of our favourite leading ladies this year,  including Sofia Vergara.

The Modern Family actress, who won the award for Comedy TV Star 2020, decided to step out in what can only be described as a wannabe matric dance dress circa-2008.

This Dolce and Gabbana number seems jaded and is as forgettable as one’s diet during lockdown. Even Vergara’s beautiful wavy locks have had all the personality ironed out of them.

All in all, it’s a rather bland choice for one of Hollywood’s most colourful stars.