The Meaning Behind the Blue Ribbons at the Oscars

Aside from the glitz and glamour  on the champagne-colored carpet at the Oscars 2023, it was also noticeable that the Hollywood stars were wearing blue ribbons. There’s a meaningful reason behind the blue pins. 

Although last year’s Oscars were overshadowed by a huge controversy due to the slapping incident between Will Smith and Chris Rock, this year’s Academy Awards was peaceful.

Even to this day, the issue between the two actors hasn’t died down and still continuously gives birth to a series of underlying issues.

I am think Cate Blanchett is playing Joan Crawford on the #Oscars red carpet pic.twitter.com/rqeVPHfIYg

— Vanessa Friedman (@VVFriedman) March 13, 2023

Furthermore, this year’s blue ribbons at the Oscars 2023 sparked curiosity from the audiences. For instance, Australian actress Cate Blanchett donned a blue ribbon over her metallic blue and black Louis Vuitton ensemble. 

Her whole outfit was also sustainable, and it was customized to promote the advocacy of the UN Refugee Agency. Moreover, Blanchett also has a Best Actress nomination for her role in the film Tar.

In addition, she also mentioned the unity with the refugees. She said, “What I love about the film is the way it draws us into compelling human themes to uncover the connective tissue that binds us all.”

Blanchett continued, “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.”

Cate Blanchett wears Oscars blue ribbon in support of global refugee crisis https://t.co/ZqyzQ7UaPk

— The Independent (@Independent) March 13, 2023

Oscars 2023 Attendees with the Blue Ribbon

Alongside her, Bill Nighy also wore the blue pin. He has a best actor nomination for the movie, Living. It was the British star’s first best actor nomination.

Sky News asked him about his stance on avoiding politics for this year’s Oscars. He said, “120 million people being displaced and children being in terrible distress, I don’t think that is politics. And that is what this commemorates.”

The veteran actor continued, “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.”

Best Actor nominee Bill Nighy arrives at the #Oscars. https://t.co/ESbPYqrUFK pic.twitter.com/ThrMa1IOx4

— Variety (@Variety) March 12, 2023

According to Independent UK, other stars joined Blanchett and Nighy. Some of which are Filipino actress Dolly De Leon from the film Triangle of Sadness and director of All Quiet on the Western Front Edward Berger.

Moreover, Knotty Tie Co. handcrafted each blue ribbon. It was a company from Denver, Colorado, that’s in full support of the refugees in their training, education, and jobs.

UNHCR wrote, “The wearing of the blue #WithRefugees ribbon on the red carpet sends a powerful visual message that everyone has the right to seek safety – whoever, wherever, whenever they are.”

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

This is not the first event that Hollywood stars wore the blue ribbon, In February, Jamie-Lee Curtis and Colin Farrell also donned the blue pin at the BAFTAs.

Moreover, one of the Oscars 2023 top winners is Everything Everywhere All At Once. For the full list of winners, check out Inquirer.net.