Cate Blanchett might have worn a pretty fabulous five-stranded pearl necklace, but people were also interested in the little blue ribbon that was pinned to her right shoulder at tonight's EE BAFTA Awards. In fact, 'blue ribbon meaning' immediately began trending on Google. And she wasn't the only one. Angela Bassett was similarly wearing a blue ribbon on her puff-sleeved lilac gown. So, too, were Emma Thompson, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Bill Nighy, Paul Mescal, Daryl McCormack and Sophie Turner. But what does the blue ribbon mean?
What is the Blue Ribbon meaning?
Printed with the hashtag #WithRefugees, the blue ribbon is a symbol of solidarity with the world's refugees. The #WithRefugees Coalition, according to the UNHCR, stands 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.'
The red carpet is often used as a platform to bring much-needed attention to global issues, with stars voicing their support for causes that are close to their hearts. (At this year's Academy Awards, Jamie Lee Curtis wore the same blue ribbon to support refugees, looping its length around her ring finger. Michelle Yeoh, her co-star in Everything Everywhere All at Once, also wore hers on her left hand for tonight's ceremony, making sure it stood out against her taupe tailoring from Dior)
Speaking to PA, who interviewed her on the red carpet at the BAFTAs, Jamie said: 'My friend Cate Blanchett is asking people to remind us all in the midst of all the season of shiny things that of course there are terrible refugee crises going on all over the world everywhere all at once and we need to do our part.'
Some winners also used the podium, and their sixty-second speech, to speak up. When Charlotte Wells, director of the touching father-daughter drama Aftersun, accepted her award for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer, she paid tribute to the people who helped make the film possible. 'A special thank you to our Turkish crew. I don’t think anyone in that country’s been unaffected by the earthquake.’