Political Speeches and Tributes at the Oscars

Oscars 2026 Gets Political as Winners and Presenters Speak Out on War, Gun Violence and Trump

The 2026 Oscars ventured beyond the confines of Hollywood, as several winners and presenters used the Academy Awards stage to speak about war, gun violence, and politics in the US and abroad.

Those remarks came at different points during Sunday night’s ceremony in Los Angeles, but together they ended up giving the show a sharper political edge than some recent years. 

From documentary winners to international filmmakers, the night included several pointed remarks. At the start of the ceremony, host Conan O’Brien warned in his opening monologue that “tonight could get political.”

One of the clearest moments came before Sentimental Value won the Best International Feature. Javier Bardem, the Oscar-winning actor, who was also wearing a 2003 Iraq War protest pin, opened by saying, “No to war and free Palestine.” 

Later on, director Joachim Trier used his acceptance speech to urge viewers not to support politicians who fail children. “I want to end by paraphrasing the wonderful American writer James Baldwin, who makes us remember that all adults are responsible for all children, and let’s not vote for politicians who don’t take this seriously into account,” he said. 

Moreover, backstage, Trier told reporters, paraphrasing a quote from Baldwin, “I think the world is at the moment when we are getting more information than ever about the wrongdoings made towards children in several wars going on. And I feel, personally, I have two small kids; I and most people around me have been at times crying daily and feeling incapable of doing stuff because we’ve seen Palestinian children suffer, children from Ukraine suffer, and children from Sudan suffer, and there doesn’t seem to be any accountability at the moment.” 

Trier added, “I’m not a politician, but I do believe that we need to go, as they say in the United States, across the aisle to be more collaborative about how we protect children in conflict situations, but also society in general.”

Earlier in the night, the documentary winners also did not hold back, as Joshua Seftel, who won best documentary short for “All the Empty Rooms," remembered children killed in school shootings. Gloria Cazales, whose daughter Jackie was killed in Uvalde at 9, then told the audience, “Gun violence is now the number one cause of death in kids and teens. We believe that if the world could see their empty bedrooms, we’d be a different America.”

The winner for best documentary feature, Mr. Nobody Against Putin, brought another political message. Co-director David Borenstein said the film was about how a country is lost “through countless small, little acts of complicity.” Pavel Talankin, the film’s subject and co-director, added through a translator, “Stop all of these wars now.”

Later in the ceremony, Jimmy Kimmel delivered jokes mocking leaders hostile to free speech and took a swipe at Donald Trump.

Barbra Streisand Honors Robert Redford at Oscars 2026 With Emotional ‘The Way We Were’ Tribute

Barbra Streisand brought one of the most emotional moments of the 2026 Oscars to the stage Sunday night when she honored her late friend and former co-star Robert Redford with a tribute that mixed memory, music, and history.

The actor and singer, 83, appeared during the 98th Academy Awards in Los Angeles and spoke about Redford before singing part of “The Way We Were,” the title song from their 1973 romantic drama, according to the telecast. Streisand said the film was not just a love story but also a reflection of a troubled period in US history.

The moment stood out because it was both personal and political. Streisand used her time on stage not only to remember Redford as a screen icon but also to point to what she described as his values, his activism, and the causes he defended beyond Hollywood.

While presenting the tribute, Streisand said Redford “spoke up to defend the freedom of the press, protect the environment, and encourage new voices” through the Sundance Institute. She then added, “I called him an intellectual cowboy,” before describing him as someone “who blazed his own trail.”

Later in the tribute, Streisand said she had told Redford she loved him in her last note to him. Then she sang “The Way We Were,” and just for a moment, the room went quiet.

Redford, the Oscar-winning director of Ordinary People, also received an honorary Academy Award in 2002, which Streisand presented to him. He died in September at 89. His career included Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting, and All the President’s Men.

Streisand also honored him shortly after his death in September 2025, writing on Instagram that working with Redford on “The Way We Were” was “exciting, intense, and pure joy.”

Why James Van Der Beek and Eric Dane Were Missing From the Oscars 2026 In Memoriam

Two familiar names were missing from the Oscars’ In Memoriam tribute Sunday night, and viewers noticed almost right away.

During the 2026 Academy Awards telecast, fans on social media questioned why James Van Der Beek and Eric Dane were not included in the televised segment honoring film figures who died over the past year. The omission quickly became one of the more talked-about moments after the ceremony.

The reaction mattered because the In Memoriam segment is one of the most closely watched parts of the Oscars each year. It is where viewers expect major stars and longtime performers to be recognized, especially those whose deaths were recent and widely felt.

Van Der Beek, best known for Dawson’s Creek and the film Varsity Blues, died in February at 48 after battling cancer, according to the information provided. Dane, known for Grey’s Anatomy and films including X-Men: The Last Stand, also died in February at 53 after living with ALS.

Fans quickly noticed something missing. Posts across social platforms asked why neither actor appeared in the broadcast tribute, with some viewers saying both men had long careers and strong fan support.

There is a practical reason these omissions happen. The Oscars expanded this year’s In Memoriam because so many actors, directors, and other film professionals died in the past 12 months, according to the material surrounding the telecast. However, the limited on-air segment could not accommodate the inclusion of everyone.

Award shows often face that problem. The tribute is short, the list is long, and producers have to make difficult editing decisions.

Van Der Beek and Dane were honored elsewhere earlier in awards season, including at the Actor Awards, where their work and careers were recognized. But for many viewers, their absence at the Oscars still stung.

Law Roach Dodges Zendaya and Tom Holland Wedding Question at Oscars 2026

During the 2026 Oscars, Law Roach left people in suspense by evading a direct question about Zendaya and Tom Holland's marital status.

Roach, the celebrity stylist and longtime Zendaya collaborator, was stopped for interviews during the March 15 ceremony and asked to clarify earlier comments he made about the couple’s relationship. Instead of confirming anything, he sidestepped the question with a joke, according to red carpet interviews that aired after the event.

The exchange quickly drew attention because Roach had already stirred up online speculation two weeks earlier, when he appeared at the 2026 Actor Awards and suggested Zendaya had secretly tied the knot with Holland. That comment sent the internet into a frenzy, especially because neither actor has publicly confirmed a wedding.

When Etalk asked Roach at the Oscars if he could confirm the marriage, he replied, “You know what? I really wanted those Chanel shoes that just dropped the other day, but I didn’t make it to the store in time.” He smiled and walked away. Asked separately by Extra to clarify his earlier remarks, Roach said, “No, I said what I said.”

Fans, of course, have been piecing together a timeline. Three days before Roach’s first comment, Holland was photographed in California without a wedding band. Later, Zendaya appeared in promotional images for The Drama wearing what looked like a ring on her left hand. She was also seen with a thin gold band at the Louis Vuitton show in Paris on March 10.

During the Essence Black Women in Hollywood event on March 12, host Marsai Martin asked Zendaya, the Euphoria star, for a "sign" about her private life, and Zendaya bashfully showed what appeared to be a wedding band, drawing applause from the audience. Later, a source revealed to PEOPLE that they overheard her accepting congratulations.

Neither Zendaya nor Holland has confirmed a marriage. For now, Roach is keeping his lips sealed.

— Osheen Yadav

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