Rachel McAdams, Mark Ruffalo, and Michael Keaton — stars of the Boston film “Spotlight’’ — were honored with the 2016 American Riviera Award at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival on Friday night. The prize recognizes actors who’ve made a contribution to American cinema. Last year’s honorees were “Boyhood’’ stars Patricia Arquette and Ethan Hawke. The director of “Spotlight,’’ Tom McCarthy, was honored the next night at the Directors Guild of America Awards, but he didn’t take home the big prize. That award, for outstanding directorial achievement in feature film, went to Alejandro G. Iñárritu, of “The Revenant.’’ Other honorees at the Santa Barabra film fest included Pittsfield native Elizabeth Banks. The producer, actress, and director picked up a 2016 Virtuosos Award, which also went to her “Love & Mercy’’ costar Paul Dano, O’Shea Jackson Jr. of “Straight Outta Compton,’’ Géza Röhrig of “Son of Saul,’’ Alicia Vikander of “The Danish Girl,’’ Jacob Tremblay of “Room,’’’ and Joel Edgerton, who played John Connolly in the local film “Black Mass.’’