The award season typically comes with a lot of discussion in the media and in the speeches given by the winners. This year at the Oscars, which arguably the most prestigious award in film, many a speech was given that nodded at current social and political. As this is a highly publicized event televised around the world, a platform like this is a good one for getting a message across.

From Bono’s song about Mandela, Ordinary Love, to the wins achieved by the historically relevant films 12 Years a Slave and Dallas Buyers Club, there was certainly a lot to reflect upon. One of my favorite, aside from Jared Leto’s phenomenal acceptance speech for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, was Cate Blanchett’s acceptance speech for Best Actress for her work in Blue Jasmine.

In it, she address the typical notion that successful films with women in dominant roles are rare, saying that notion is “foolish” and assuring the audiences that “in fact, they earn money” (which in fact resulted in a nice applause). You can watch it here.

Though it may have gained a little controversy because she thanked Woody Allen, I am still impressed that she used her win to address such a pressing issue on such a large format.