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Singer Billie Eilish and actor Ramy Youssef were among those attending the Academy Awards on Sunday night who wore red pins calling for a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas, a notable exception in an awards season in which many Hollywood stars have been reluctant to draw attention to the conflict.
The pins represent attendees’ alignment with Artists4Ceasefire, a group of celebrities and members of the entertainment industry who signed an open letter urging President Biden to call a ceasefire. The nearly 400 signatories include Bradley Cooper and America Ferrera, both Oscar nominees this year, as well as Cate Blanchett, Drake, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez.
“The pin symbolizes collective support for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and the urgent delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza,” Artists4Ceasefire said in a press release. “Compassion must prevail,” the statement continued.
Ramy Youssef, a comedian and actor who will perform at the ceremony and who stars in one of his most nominated films, “Poor Things,” wore his red pin on the lapel of a black Zegna tuxedo jacket.
“There’s a part of you that hopes you don’t have to reach for the pins,” he said in an interview Sunday. “There’s a part of us that hoped we’d already be on a ceasefire, and we’re not.”
Youssef said he had been surprised by how few questions he had been asked about the war on red carpets earlier in the season. At the Golden Globe Awards in January, he raised a question about Jeremy Allen White’s sultry performance. Calvin Klein ad in an opportunity to call for a ceasefire. “This is not about political strategy, this is not about retaliation,” he said Sunday. “It’s about something really simple, which is just: Hey, let’s stop killing kids.”
Ms. Eilish, nominated for best original song for “What Was I Made For?” from “Barbie,” she wore one of the pins with a black and white Chanel ensemble. Her brother, producer Finneas, also wore one.
The war between Israel and Hamas has had a relatively small presence on red carpets since the Golden Globes in January, when stars like “Succession” actress J. Smith-Cameron wore yellow ribbons to show solidarity with the hostages held by Hamas.
Each Artists4Ceasefire pin resembles a bright red quarter, with the image of a hand surrounding a small black heart. The accessories have made intermittent appearances throughout awards season: Members of the indie rock trio boygenius pinned the pins to the lapels of their white Thom Browne suits at the Grammy Awards last month, and actors Tony Shalhoub and Ebon Moss-Bachrach wore the brooches. Shortly after, the red carpet at the Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Mark Ruffalo, nominated for a best supporting actor Oscar for his role as a slick suitor in “Poor Things,” wore one of the Artists4Ceasefire pins at the Directors Guild of America Awards in February.
“We’re not going to bomb our way to peace, and all we’re saying is: what’s wrong with giving a ceasefire a chance?” Mr. Ruffalo said Deadline on the DGA red carpet.
More than 30,000 people have died in Gaza during the war, according to Gaza officials, and about 1,200 people were killed in Israel in the Hamas attack on October 7.
Awards show red carpets have offered ample opportunities for stars to draw attention to issues of their choosing, although such gestures have sometimes been criticized as empty. Blue ribbons were the accessory chosen at the 2023 Oscars to express support for refugees. Hollywood women wore black to the Golden Globes in 2018 in solidarity with victims of sexual harassment, and Natalie Portman wore a cape embroidered with the names of female directors to the 2020 Oscars.
As Hollywood stars have become increasingly vocal about political leaders, abortion rights and racial inequality on award show stages, many have remained comparatively silent on the war in the Middle East. That changed slightly at the Grammy Awards last month, where Annie Lennox shouted a call for a ceasefire at the end of her musical tribute to singer Sinead O’Connor.
The Los Angeles Police Department said it was anticipating possible protests related to the war between Israel and Hamas on Oscars day, and would increase security around the Dolby Theatre, where the awards show is taking place.
Youssef said the artists played a special role in encouraging viewers to get involved in humanitarian issues. “There’s the term ‘talking heads’; I think artists are talking hearts,” he said. “We’re appealing to an emotional level.”