The 77th Primetime Emmy Awards were not just a celebration of television’s best, they also became a stage for urgent political appeals.
Several winners and nominees used the spotlight to denounce Israel’s war in Gaza and demand a ceasefire, amplifying the cultural boycott movement that has been building momentum in Hollywood.
One of the most forceful voices was Academy Award winner Javier Bardem, who arrived wearing a kaffiyeh and refused to discuss his nominated project. Instead, he focused entirely on Palestine.
“At the end of August, the International Association of Genocide Scholars recognized what’s happening in Gaza as genocide,” Bardem told The Hollywood Reporter. “That’s why we’re calling for sanctions, for diplomatic and commercial isolation of Israel, to stop this. Free Palestine.”
Bardem also highlighted his work with Film Workers for Palestine, a campaign urging boycotts of institutions tied to Israel’s entertainment industry. “This is not about identity or individuals,” he explained. “It’s about cutting ties with institutions complicit in genocide. I won’t work with companies that turn a blind eye.”
Emmy winner Hannah Einbinder (Hacks), who took home Best Actress in a Comedy, echoed Bardem’s stance backstage. “I have close friends in Gaza; doctors, teachers, people working in refugee camps,” she said. “As a Jewish person, I feel it’s my responsibility to separate Judaism from the actions of the state of Israel. This boycott isn’t against people, it’s against systems enabling genocide.”
Other attendees showed solidarity in quieter but equally striking ways. Ruth Negga, Chris Perfetti and Aimee Lou Wood pinned red ceasefire buttons to their outfits, while comedian Megan Stalter carried a bag emblazoned with the words CEASE FIRE! “If you’re not using your privilege at nights like this, then what’s the point?” Stalter told Variety.
With some of television’s most recognizable names aligning themselves with calls for Palestinian justice, this year’s Emmys may be remembered as more than just an awards show but as a cultural flashpoint, where Hollywood’s biggest night converged with one of the world’s most pressing political struggles.
