Why are celebrities wearing blue ribbons at the Oscars? The 95th Academy Awards are well underway, but what is the meaning behind the blue ribbons?
It’s been a solid, if uneventful night at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Ke Huy Quan took home the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his acclaimed performance in Everything Everywhere All at Once, and All Quiet on the Western Front’s “BWAM BWAM BWAM” has boomed every 10 minutes.
As more celebrities take to the stage to announce the nominees and welcome the winners, viewers may have noticed several wearing a blue ribbon somewhere on their outfits.
Here’s everything you need to know about why celebrities have decided to wear blue ribbons at this year’s Oscars ceremony.
Why are celebrities wearing blue ribbons at the Oscars?
Celebrities are wearing blue ribbons to show they’re participating in the #WithRefugees crisis, coming a year after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine forced millions to flee and seek asylum in other countries.
As per the UNHCR, the campaign is “a powerful force for good inspiring work in solidarity with people forced to flee all over the world.
“The Coalition has a diverse membership including universities, foundations, faith-based organizations, youth groups, businesses, and NGOs. A majority of its members do not have refugee support as an explicit part of their mandate but have taken steps to publicly support the refugee cause.”
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Cate Blanchett will wear blue ribbon made by refugees. The #WithRefugees ribbon is "an emblem of compassion and solidarity for those who have been forced to flee their homes because of war, conflict and persecution." The ribbons are made by refugees at Knotty Tie Co. #Oscars pic.twitter.com/bjeikaYx4w
— Chris Gardner (@chrissgardner) March 12, 2023
Cate Blanchett, who’s been nominated for her performance in Tár, is wearing a blue ribbon tonight. Ahead of the ceremony, she explained (as per Mashable): “What I love about film is the way it draws us into compelling human themes to uncover the connective tissue that binds us all.
“Whenever I have met refugees – in places such as Lebanon, Jordan or Bangladesh, in the UK, or back home in Australia – what has struck me has not been their ‘otherness’ but how many things we share in common.”
Bill Nighy was also seen on the red carpet with one of the ribbons, telling Sky News: “120 million people being displaced and children being in terrible distress, I don’t think that is politics. And that is what this commemorates.
“It is a UN initiative. I wear it at the request of Cate Blanchett who wants to focus on that issue wherever we go publicly.”
You can keep up-to-date with this year’s Oscar winners here.
