Hannah Einbinder became the first winner of an Emmy on September 14, 2025, at the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards. She won the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series using her portrayal of Ava Daniels in Hacks. She was nominated four times before in the same category
She began her acceptance speech with self-deprecating humor. She confessed that she had come to a certain point where losing appeared colder. She added that the victory was punk rock. She gave praise to the producers of Hacks and followed up by complimenting her co-star Jean Smart, whom she referred to as the sun
Einbinder, in her concluding statement, gave a bold political statement. She said,
“Go Birds, f— ICE, and free Palestine.”
The f— ICE, part of her wording, was bleeped in the live broadcast on CBS. The other things were heard and seen, but not the censored expletive.
She was on the floor abiding by a time-limit regulation: host Nate Bargatze had a laugh segment where the winners were given 45 seconds to give their speeches. He promised to decrease the donation that he was making to the Boys & Girls Club each time he spent more than a minute over the limit. Einbinder counted the time and joked that she would pay the difference. 
Why Her Words Sparked Debate
People reacted swiftly. Her boldness and honesty in voicing her politics were lauded by many. Her remark on ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) and her opinion in favor of Palestine made people talk on social media and the news media. We cannot deny the fact that Israel has attacked Qatar and also criticized many other countries. So, Einbinder attributed her reasons backstage.
She claimed that she felt forced to discuss Palestine since she has friends back in Gaza who work in harsh conditions: doctors, frontline workers, and educators in refugee camps. She emphasized that she perceives the necessity of differentiating her Jewish identity on the grounds of political policies that she does not agree with.
The bleep was a result of broadcast standards. The profane could not be broadcast on network television, thus CBS censored f– ICE. However, in certain versions on the Internet, the term free Palestine remained uncensored, and it was audible to the physical audience in the theater.
Some critics observed that the Emmys that evening were filled with more political statements than they thought. Einbinder was not the only award-winning performer who took her time to raise social consciousness.
She had some viewers who defended her right to free speech. Still others stated that awards shows must not make any direct political statements, at least any polarizing ones. The profanity against a government agency must have been considered by broadcast censors and network executives as dangerous.
When asked that, Einbinder (and others) made it clear that this matter had a personal connotation to her, not only performance or publicity. She explained that it is important due to the humanitarian crisis and some people she knows.
What It Means Moving Forward
Her victory is a step forward: at last, she received the Emmy despite several nominations. It also intensifies a tendency where the performers take advantage of their visibility not only to glorify art but also to make a cause. The bleeping reflects the conflict in the rule of live broadcast (no profanity, particularly against political organizations) and public demand for truth-telling or activism. It can cause increased questioning of rules that hosts and networks place (such as the restrictions on speech time or censorship) and the means by which artists protest.
