From ICE pins to speeches on war: How the Oscars got political

At the start of the Oscars, host Conan O’Brien noted, “I warn you, tonight could get political. If that makes you uncomfortable, there’s an alternative Oscars being hosted by Kid Rock at a Dave & Buster’s down the street.”

And as the night went on, Hollywood’s biggest night — as the Oscars are often termed — became more political.

Many celebrities used the Oscars red carpet as well as their winning speeches as platforms to draw attention to the various political events across the world — be it addressing the killings by America’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), or the dire conditions in Palestine and even the Iran war at large.

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‘F**K ICE’ accessories and pins on Oscars’ red carpet

One of the most important aspect of the Oscars is the red carpet where celebrities show off their style and fashion. However, the red carpet also presents an opportunity to celebrities to wear their emotions on their sleeves, quite literally.

The Academy Awards brought the usual parade of couture and diamonds, but with politics still visible at the margins. American author and queer activist Glennon Doyle carried a black beaded clutch with white crystal lettering spelling “F**K ICE” as she walked the red carpet with her wife, Olympic soccer player Abby Wambach. Others also wore the ICE pins on the red carpet, including Grammy Award-winning singer Sara Bareilles.

Sara Bareilles wears a pin reading "Ice Out" as she and a guest wearing a watermelon-shaped pin pose on the red carpet during the Oscars arrivals at the 98th Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. Reuters

Other celebrities were also seen wearing pins that read “Artists4Ceasefire” and “Just Peace.” Artists4Ceasefire is a collective of artists and advocates calling for peace in response to ongoing violence in Israel and Palestine.

Charithra Chandran, known for her role in the Netflix series Bridgerton, was seen on the red carpet wearing a red Artists4Ceasefire pin. The actress spoke about the importance of artists using their platforms responsibly and emphasised the need to speak out against violence while advocating for a more peaceful world.

Arab-Israeli actor Amer Hlehel and actress Saja Kilani, who appears in the film The Voice of Hind Rajab, also wore Artists4Ceasefire pins during the ceremony.

Actor Javier Bardem, who has long been vocal about the Palestine war, was also seen wearing a pin which said ‘no a la guerra’, which is Spanish for ‘no to war’, as well as one featuring Handala, the long-standing symbol of Palestinian identity and resistance.

Saja Kilani arrives at the Oscars on Sunday, March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. She accessorised her look with the Artists4Ceasefire pin. AP

Speaking up for various causes

Hollywood star Javier Bardem also used the Oscar stage to voice his dissatisfaction over the Iran war. Appearing on the stage with Priyanka Chopra to present the award for Best International Feature, the 57-year-old said: “No to war and Free Palestine.”

Earlier on the red carpet, the Spanish actor also said: “We are here 23 years after with another illegal war, created by Trump and Netanyahu, with another lie to defeat the regime. They’re radicalising the regime by their horrific actions, that is not the reason. And also the Palestine symbolism of resistance.”

Other winners at the Oscars also used their speech to voice their opinions on various political issues. During his acceptance speech, All the Empty Rooms director Joshua Seftel took a moment to remember the four children who were killed in school shootings, whose empty rooms were featured in the documentary: Hallie, Gracie, Dominic and Jackie.

Also, David Borenstein, who co-directed Mr Nobody Against Putin, which won in the best documentary feature category, noted, “When we act complicit, when a government murders people on the streets of our major cities, when we don’t say anything, when oligarchs take over the media and control how we can produce it and consume it. We all face a moral choice, but luckily, even a nobody is more powerful than you think.”

Pavel Talankin, the film’s main subject, who also co-directed alongside Borenstein, also urged for all the wars to stop now. “For four years, we look at the sky for a shooting stars to make a very important wish. But there are countries where instead of shooting stars, they have shooting bombs and shooting drones,” he said, via a translator. “In the name of our future, in the name of all of our children, stop all of these wars now.”

Previous Oscars host, Jimmy Kimmel, also appeared on stage and used his time to crack some jokes aimed at US President Donald Trump. “We hear a lot about courage at shows like this, but telling a story that could get you killed for telling it is real courage. As you know, there are some countries whose leaders don’t support free speech. I’m not at liberty to say which. Let’s just leave it at North Korea and CBS,” he said, taking a jibe at David Ellison, who now owns Paramount Global, the parent company of CBS.

And before he announced the nominees for best documentary feature, he added, “Oh man, is he gonna be mad his wife wasn’t nominated for this,” alluding to Trump.

Host Conan O'Brien appears during the Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. AP

Oscars host Conan O’Brien also used his monologue to get some digs at the US president. He referenced the Epstein files, saying, “For the first time since 2012, there are no British actors nominated for best actor and best actress. A British spokesperson said, yeah, well at least we arrest our paedophiles.”

But it wasn’t just quips and jokes. The Oscar host also got a bit serious. “Yes, tonight is an international event. If I can be serious for just a moment, everyone watching right now, around the world, is all too aware that these are very chaotic, frightening times,” he said. “It’s at moments like these that I believe that the Oscars are particularly resonant — 31 countries across six continents are represented this evening, and every film we salute is the product of thousands of people speaking different languages, working hard to make something of beauty. We pay tribute tonight, not just to film, but to the ideals of global artistry, collaboration, patience, resilience and that rarest of qualities today — optimism.”

“So let us celebrate not because we think all is well but because we work and hope for better.”

Like other awards show this season, the Oscars continued their political theme, but didn’t evoke any reaction from the US president, who has in the past railed against the awards. However, we are waiting to see if the American leader does have a reaction to the Oscars at all.

With inputs from agencies