Russell Crowe received a Golden Globe Sunday for his performance in “The Loudest Voice,” but the Australian actor was noticeably absent from the ceremony because of the devastating wildfires in his homeland.
After the win was announced, presenter Jennifer Aniston read a prepared speech Crowe had sent in advance, in which he warned of the dangers of climate change.
“Make no mistake, the tragedy unfolding in Australia is climate-change-based,” Crowe, a New Zealand native who has lived in Australia for most of his life, said in the speech. “We need to act based on science, move our global workforce to renewable energy and respect our planet for the unique and amazing place it is. That way we all have a future.”
Crowe, who last won in 2002 for “A Beautiful Mind,” wasn’t the only star to draw attention to the fires during Sunday’s broadcast.
Joaquin Phoenix, Ellen DeGeneres and Patricia Arquette also spoke out during their respective speeches, while Cate Blanchett, an Australia native, said she was “very grateful for the callouts to our fellow compatriots.”
“When one country faces a climate disaster, we all face a climate disaster,” she said.
The wildfires, which have been burning for weeks during a record-breaking heat wave, have thus so far scorched an area twice the size of Maryland. At least 24 people have died as a result of the blaze, according to The Associated Press.
Other Aussie stars like Nicole Kidman addressed the tragedy from the red carpet.
“Our family is safe, but obviously many families have been put under enormous stress and duress right now,” she said, according to Variety. “We’re so deeply upset and worried. There’s enormous strength in the country right now in terms of camaraderie and helping each other.”
Kidman’s husband, Keith Urban, echoed those sentiments, adding, “There’s a lot of people who have lost so much down there already and there’s more to come, too. We’re not out of the woods; this is just really the beginning of summer. But people are doing amazing work down there.”