After winning a Tony for Best Featured Actor in a Musical, Ali Louis Bourzgui, 26, used his time on stage to slam “colonizers” and “fascists.”

“Sometimes humanity needs a fantastical lens outside of ourselves to look at and explore questions about our own nature,” Bourzgui said. “Vampires represent those who have shunned their own humanity in order to achieve a nonexistent sense of superiority. The billionaires will never find happiness from their money. The colonizers will never find fulfillment from the land and lives they steal. The fascists will never find meaning from their conformity, not in this lifetime or eternity.”

The Muslim Tony winner, who was awarded for his performance in The Lost Boys, a Broadway adaptation of a 1980s-era vampire film, included a call for the liberation of Palestinians in his award speech.

“For the people of Palestine who deserve to live a fruitful life, a free life, a full life without occupation,” he said. “For Arab theatre makers and artists, may we continue to tell our stories and show our faces, so our humanity becomes undeniable, and our families can no longer be written off as merely collateral damage. May they know the beauty of our kisses upon each cheek and the romance of a language rooted in passion for love and life itself.”

This is hardly the first time the award stage at the Tonys has been turned into a political one, as actors have repeatedly used the platform as a chance to espouse their personal views. Perhaps most notable was in 2019, when Bryan Cranston said, “The media is not the enemy of the people,” in reference to a phrase commonly used by then-President Trump.

Bourzgui’s remarks drew applause from the audience and added to a long-running tradition of political advocacy at major entertainment award shows. While supporters view such speeches as an opportunity to raise awareness for causes they believe in, critics argue that award ceremonies have increasingly become platforms for political messaging rather than celebrations of artistic achievement.

All this comes as the Tony Awards have increasingly become a stage for political activism. Bourzgui’s remarks serve as the latest example of a broader trend in entertainment, where acceptance speeches at events such as the Grammys and Oscars are often used to deliver ideological messages.