(Photo Credit : AP)
1 / 8Red Carpet Signals: A few artists protested more than the Trump administration’s immigration policies on Hollywood’s biggest night. At the Academy Awards, “BE GOOD” and “ICE OUT” pins appeared less frequently than at last month’s Grammys. Still, several attendees used the red carpet to advocate for Palestinian liberation and a ceasefire in Gaza, highlighting growing artist-driven activism at major entertainment awards shows.
(Photo Credit : Reuters)
2 / 8Anti-War Message: Actor Javier Bardem voiced the clearest statement during the ceremony. Before presenting the Oscar for best international feature film, Bardem said, “No to war and free Palestine.” He wore a patch reading “No a la Guerra,” the same anti-war slogan he displayed more than two decades ago when protesting the Iraq war.
(Photo Credit : Reuters)
3 / 8Return to Form: As awards season closed with the Oscars, political organisers said celebrities appeared more willing to speak publicly about political issues than in recent years. Jess Morales Rocketto, executive director of advocacy group Maremoto, described the moment as a “return to form.” Her group helped introduce immigration-themed pins that first appeared earlier in the season at the Golden Globes.
(Photo Credit : Reuters)
4 / 8Early Spark: Rocketto credited comments by Mark Ruffalo during the Golden Globes red carpet in January for helping spark wider engagement. Ruffalo told Entertainment Tonight that although he enjoyed the celebration, it was difficult to pretend “like this crazy stuff isn’t happening.” Rocketto said the moment signalled that artists were ready to take public stands during this year’s awards cycle.
(Photo Credit : Reuters)
5 / 8Ceasefire Pins: On Sunday, attendees connected to the docudrama The Voice of Hind Rajab wore red “Artists4Ceasefire” pins. The film follows attempts to rescue a Palestinian girl who was later killed in Gaza and was nominated for best international feature film. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, Israeli strikes have killed hundreds of Palestinians since a U.S.-brokered truce began in October.
(Photo Credit : Reuters)
6 / 8Connected Struggles: On the red carpet, actor Saja Kilani reflected on the film’s message and the broader political moment. “Our struggles are connected. So is our liberation. And we’re so, so honoured to be here tonight,” Kilani told The Associated Press. The presence of the cast and its supporters underscored how Gaza became a focal point of advocacy during the ceremony.
(Photo Credit : Reuters)
7 / 8Political Ceremony: The show itself contained more political commentary than many recent Oscars, though it avoided direct references to conflicts such as the Iran war. Director Paul Thomas Anderson said he wrote his film One Battle After Another partly for his children, apologising for the “housekeeping mess” left in the world they will inherit.
(Photo Credit : Reuters)
8 / 8Beyond the Stage: Host Conan O’Brien joked about the U.S. health care system and musician Kid Rock, referencing a Turning Point USA Super Bowl event. Documentary filmmakers also delivered pointed remarks, including David Borenstein of Mr Nobody Against Putinwho warned that democracies erode through “small acts of complicity.” Outside the venue, media watchdog Free Press circled the theatre with a billboard protesting a potential Paramount Skydance takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery. Rocketto said such gestures are small but collective “droplets” pushing broader change.
