Did the Oscars Censor Jonathan Glazer's Speech? What We Know

Questions have emerged online over The Zone of Interest director Jonathan Glazer's Oscar acceptance speech, amid speculation about it not being uploaded onto the Academy's YouTube channel.

The Zone of Interest won for Best International Feature at the 96th Academy Awards on Sunday. The movie shows the daily lives of a Nazi family whose patriarch is a commander at the neighboring Auschwitz concentration camp, where around 1.1 million people were killed, the majority of whom were Jewish.

"Our film shows where dehumanization leads at its worst. It's shaped all of our past and present," said the movie's director and writer during his acceptance speech onstage at Hollywood's Dolby Theatre.

"Right now we stand here as men who refute their Jewishness and the Holocaust being hijacked by an occupation which has led to conflict for so many innocent people," he added. "Whether the victims of October the 7th in Israel or the ongoing attack on Gaza—all the victims of this dehumanization, how do we resist?"

Following the Academy Awards telecast, it was claimed in a post shared on X, formerly Twitter, by @AlsikkanTV that other acceptance speeches had been uploaded onto the Oscars YouTube channel, save for Glazer's.

Screenshots of other uploaded acceptance speeches were shared to support the assertion, alongside the caption stating that "the Academy's YouTube is posting all the winners and speeches but they haven't posted Jonathan Glazer's yet."

As of press time, the post has been viewed more than 800,000 times.

The latest round of bloodshed in the Middle East erupted on October 7, when Hamas and Islamic Jihad launched a surprise attack on southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking around 250 hostages back to Gaza.

Israel's subsequent airstrikes and invasion have killed around 30,000 Palestinians in the territory, many of them women and children, according to Reuters, citing Gaza's Health Ministry.

The screenshots showed a combination of onstage acceptance speeches, as well as backstage press interviews. A check by Newsweek found that no onstage acceptance speeches are currently available on the Oscars YouTube channel.

Later on Sunday, a link was shared under X user @AlsikkanTV's post from broadcaster ABC's network YouTube channel. "ABC is recognizing news, The Academy needs to acknowledge their winners, that's it," @AlsikkanTV responded.

The separate ABC News YouTube channel is currently showcasing highlights and backstage interviews from the ceremony, though no speeches are included.

Newsweek has learned that as part of the distribution agreement between ABC and The Academy, ABC has exclusive clip rights to a pre-determined list of 10 categories, including International Feature Film.

The clip of Glazer's acceptance speech is currently live on Oscar.com, ABC.com, and ABC's YouTube page. Following the 30-day agreement window, The Academy will be able to post on their platforms.

Newsweek has contacted representatives of the Oscars and ABC via email for comment.

While a number of other X users suggested something cynical may have been afoot with certain speeches not making it to the Oscars' YouTube channel on Sunday night, it is worth noting that all such moments from 2023's ceremony were not posted to the awards body's channel until one month after the event.

Discussion around the Israel-Hamas conflict has proved to be a divisive matter, with public figures facing backlash for comments that show allegiance to either side.

However, a number of attendees at the Oscars donned pins in support of a ceasefire in Gaza. The pin was a red circle with a hand in it and a black love heart on the palm. Billie Eilish, her brother, Finneas O'Connell, Riz Ahmed, Ramy Youssef, Mark Ruffalo, Ava DuVernay and Swann Arlaud were among those who added to the pins to their ensembles on the night.

There didn't appear to be any attendees wearing signs of support for Israel. About 134 of the people kidnapped are still being held by Hamas, according to Reuters.

The Palestinian civilian death toll and images of children dead in the rubble of bombed buildings have resulted in mounting international calls for a ceasefire and increased pressure on U.S. President Joe Biden to take a tougher line on Israel.

Despite the increasing condemnation over civilian deaths and demands for a ceasefire, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly said the army will continue its offensive to destroy Hamas, bring home the remaining hostages and stop Gaza from posing a threat to his country.

Update 3/12/24, 1:25 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional details and background information.