The politically charged awards season ends with calls for peace at the Oscars

A few artists protested more than just the Trump administration’s immigration policies on Hollywood’s biggest night.

Attendance for the “BE GOOD” and “ICE OUT” pins at the Oscars was weak compared to last month’s Grammys. But those dressed in protest gear used the red carpet on Sunday to also advocate for Palestinian liberation and a ceasefire amid the fragile situation in Gaza, adding to the growing artist-led activity at entertainment awards shows.

Read more: 7 key moments from the 2026 Oscars

“No to war and the liberation of Palestine,” actor Javier Bardem said on stage before presenting the award for Best International Feature Film. He was wearing a patch that said “No a la Guerra,” the same anti-war slogan he wore to protest the Iraq War more than two decades ago.

As Hollywood’s awards season comes to a close with the Oscars, political organizers point out that celebrities are finding their political voices more this cycle than in recent years. Marimoto CEO Jes Morales Roqueto, whose Latino advocacy group was behind the immigration pins that debuted at the Golden Globes, called it a “return to form” for artists’ political engagement.

She took credit for Mark Ruffalo’s comments on the Golden Globes red carpet in January. The actor, who is often outspoken, told Entertainment Tonight that “as much as I love all of this” he found it difficult to pretend that “this crazy stuff doesn’t happen.”

“I think we tapped into something early on, which is that this is the time to take a stand and make it clear where you are at this moment in history,” Morales Roqueto said before the Oscars on Sunday.

On Sunday, attendees representing “Voice of Hind Rajab” wore a new red “Artists4Ceasefire” pin. The documentary, about the efforts to rescue a Palestinian girl killed in Gaza, was nominated for Best International Feature Film.

Read more: Here is the complete list of 2026 Academy Award winners

Israeli raids have killed hundreds of Palestinians since the US-brokered truce took effect in October, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.

“Our struggles are interconnected. And so is our liberation. We are honored to be here tonight,” Saja Kehlani, one of the film’s stars, told The Associated Press on the red carpet.

The content of Sunday’s ceremony proved more political than in previous years — even if it lacked direct references to the Iran war and other global issues. Paul Thomas Anderson, the director of Battle After Battle, said he wrote the political drama for his children to apologize for “the housekeeping mess we’ve left in this world we’re handing over to them.”

Host Conan O’Brien made jokes at the expense of the American health care system and Kid Rock, in reference to alternative organization Turning Point USA’s Super Bowl halftime show.

Read more: How music’s biggest stars protested Trump’s anti-immigration crackdown at the Grammy Awards

In a rare moment of honesty, O’Brien said the Oscars particularly resonate “at moments like this,” and nodded broadly at many different global crises.

“Tonight we pay tribute not only to the film, but also to the ideals of global art, cooperation, patience, resilience and those qualities that are rare today: optimism,” he said.

The Best Documentary category, whose nominees tend to contain more overt political messages, brought in more social commentary. David Borenstein, one of the directors of “Mr. Nobody vs. Putin,” said the documentary is about “how to lose your country.”

This happens through “countless small acts of collusion,” such as “when the government kills people in the streets of our major cities” or when “the oligarchs control the media,” Bornstein said.

“We are all faced with a moral choice, but fortunately, even no one is stronger than you think,” he said.

Other advocacy groups used the show’s buzz to draw attention to their issues. In order to lobby against the corporate media, the Free Press had a traveling billboard circling the Dolby Theater to protest Paramount Skydance’s potential acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.

Morales Roqueto admitted that no one will be able to bring about the systemic change she seeks in US immigration policy. But she likened each individual work to “drops” in “the giant ocean we are trying to move.”

She added: “This only happens if stars say yes, if they decide to use their platform, if they decide they want to make statements that go beyond just ‘What do I wear?’” “I don’t take it for granted. “It’s a big step for people to say that.”