The 77th Emmy Awards, held on September 14, 2025, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, were not just a celebration of television’s finest. The event became a powerful stage for artists to speak out about the ongoing conflict in Gaza, as a wave of actors, writers, and filmmakers used their platform to call for a ceasefire and demand accountability from the global community—and from their own industry.
Javier Bardem, the Oscar-winning actor nominated for his role as José Menendez in Netflix’s "Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story," arrived on the red carpet wearing a keffiyeh scarf and a red Artists4Ceasefire pin. Bardem’s message was unequivocal. "Here I am today, denouncing the genocide in Gaza," he told Variety’s Marc Malkin. Bardem cited the International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS), which, at the end of August 2025, declared the situation in Gaza a genocide. "That’s why we ask for a commercial and diplomatic blockade and also sanctions on Israel to stop the genocide. Free Palestine," he added, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.
Bardem’s stance was not an isolated one. In the week leading up to the Emmys, more than 4,000 industry professionals—including filmmakers, actors, and other creatives—signed an open pledge organized by Film Workers for Palestine. The pledge commits signatories to boycott Israeli film institutions and companies “implicated in genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people.” Notable names on the list included Yorgos Lanthimos, Ava DuVernay, Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Riz Ahmed, Tilda Swinton, and Lily Gladstone, among others, according to USA TODAY.
The pledge explicitly states that examples of complicity include “whitewashing or justifying genocide and apartheid, and/or partnering with the government committing them.” Bardem clarified, "Film Workers for Palestine do not target any individuals based on identity. The targets are those film companies and institutions that are complicit and are white-washing or justifying the genocide and its apartheid regime. We do stand with those who are helping and being supportive of the oppressed people." He doubled down on his personal commitment, telling The Hollywood Reporter, "I cannot work with someone that justifies or supports the genocide. That’s as simple as that. We shouldn’t be able to do that, in this industry or any other industry."
Other stars echoed Bardem’s sentiments on the red carpet. Megan Stalter, star of "Hacks," made her own statement by wearing a simple white T-shirt and jeans, accessorized with a black bag displaying the words "Cease Fire!" and a red Artists4Ceasefire pin. "It's important with a platform to speak out. It's the most important thing in the world to have peace," Stalter told USA TODAY. "I can't not say something, and I feel like it's more important than anything about my look, whether I'm in a big gown or jeans. It's really important to speak out about those things that are really horrifying."
The message wasn’t limited to accessories. Hannah Einbinder, who won the Emmy for best actress in a comedy series for her work on "Hacks," used her acceptance speech to spotlight the crisis. "Go birds, (expletive) ICE and free Palestine," she declared, as reported by USA TODAY, refusing to end her speech without a direct call for Palestinian freedom. Backstage, Einbinder elaborated on her stance, saying, "I have friends in Gaza who are working as frontline workers, as doctors, right now in the north of Gaza to provide care for pregnant women and for school children to create schools in refugee camps. I feel like it’s my obligation as a Jewish person to distinguish Jews from the state of Israel because our religion and our culture is such an important and longstanding institution that is really separate to this really ethnonationalist state." She also explained her support for the Film Workers for Palestine pledge, emphasizing, "The Film Workers for Palestine boycott does not boycott individuals, it only boycotts institutions that are directly complicit in the genocide. So it’s important to me and I think it’s an important measure and I was happy to be a part of it."
Other celebrities, including Ruth Negga, Aimee Lou Wood, Chris Perfetti, and Lucia Aniello, also wore Artists4Ceasefire pins, amplifying the call for an end to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. The Gaza Health Ministry reported that more than 64,000 people have been killed since October 2023. Bardem, in a particularly emotional interview with USA TODAY, asked, "How many hundreds of thousands of dead children need to suffer for people to wake up?"
The growing movement among Hollywood’s creative community did not go unanswered by the industry’s power players. On September 12, 2025, Paramount became the first major studio to publicly address the boycott, releasing a statement that condemned the pledge. "At Paramount, we believe in the power of storytelling to connect and inspire people, promote mutual understanding, and preserve the moments, ideas, and events that shape the world we share. This is our creative mission. We do not agree with recent efforts to boycott Israeli filmmakers. Silencing individual creative artists based on their nationality does not promote better understanding or advance the cause of peace," Paramount stated, as reported by Reuters. "We need more engagement and communication—not less."
Bardem and Film Workers for Palestine responded swiftly. Bardem clarified that the boycott was not about targeting individuals, but rather about holding institutions accountable. Film Workers for Palestine, in a statement shared on social media, accused Paramount of "possibly intentionally misrepresenting the pledge in an attempt to silence our colleagues in the film industry." The group continued, "Such a move would only shield a genocidal regime from criticism at a time when global outrage is exponentially growing and while meaningful steps towards accountability are being taken by many. Should Israeli film institutions wish to continue working with pledge signatories, their choice is clear: end complicity in Israel's genocide and apartheid, and endorse the full rights of the Palestinian people under international law."
The debate over the boycott and the broader question of artistic responsibility has exposed deep divisions within Hollywood. While some argue that engagement and dialogue are the path to peace, others insist that economic and cultural pressure is necessary to force change. The 2025 Emmys, usually a night for glitz and glamour, became a moment of reckoning for the entertainment industry—a night when the red carpet was as much about activism as it was about awards.
As the credits rolled on the 77th Emmy Awards, one thing was clear: for many in Hollywood, silence is no longer an option.
