Hannah Einbinder Wins First Emmy for ‘Hacks,’ Ends Speech With Political Message
Hannah Einbinder turned her first Emmy win into one of the night’s most talked-about moments.
The Hacks star, 29, took home the award for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series at Sunday’s 77th Emmy Awards and wrapped her speech with a surprising mix of football love and fiery politics. “Go Birds, f— ICE and free Palestine,” she declared, giving a shout-out to her beloved Philadelphia Eagles while also making the ceremony’s first openly political statement.
The profanity was censored on the CBS broadcast, but her message still landed loud and clear.
The win came after three years of nominations in the same category, where Einbinder joked that losing had almost become her “personal narrative.” Still, she admitted that winning was “pretty punk rock” too. She thanked Hacks creators Jen Statsky, Paul W. Downs and Lucia Aniello, calling them not just colleagues but “friends and family,” before praising her legendary co-star Jean Smart: “She’s like the sun, and I just get to stand in her warmth.”
Her speech ran over the 45-second time limit, which triggered the on-screen countdown of comedian Nate Bargatze’s $100,000 donation to the Boys & Girls Clubs. Every extra second meant $1,000 off the pledge. Spotting the number ticking down, Einbinder playfully said, “Oh, I’ll pay the difference, sorry.”
Backstage, Einbinder expanded on her closing words, explaining that she wanted to speak up for Palestinians. “I have friends in Gaza who are frontline workers, doctors caring for women and children,” she said, adding that as a Jewish woman, she feels obligated to separate Jewish identity from the policies of Israel.
She also emphasized her support for the Hollywood-led boycott of Israeli institutions, calling it “an effective tool to create pressure” without targeting individuals.
Her comments come just weeks after nearly 4,000 industry figures—including Einbinder—signed an open letter pledging not to work with Israeli film institutions accused of supporting “genocide and apartheid.” CBS parent company Paramount responded to the boycott with a statement rejecting it, saying, “Silencing individual creative artists based on their nationality does not promote better understanding or advance the cause of peace.”
Einbinder’s win adds to a big year: she also snagged a Critics Choice Award, scored multiple Golden Globe nominations, and continues to shine as Ava Daniels, the sharp-tongued comedy writer on Hacks. Season 4 sees her character step into the head writer chair for Deborah Vance’s (Smart) late-night talk show dream gig.
Offscreen, Einbinder is prepping her next project—an indie film with Gillian Anderson called Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma.
It’s clear the Emmy win was more than just a career milestone for Einbinder—it was also her chance to use the stage for something bigger.
