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For nearly a century, the Academy Awards have been the pinnacle of glitz, glamour and unpredictability.
While the Oscars celebrate the best in film, the ceremony itself has often stolen the spotlight, giving audiences moments that are thrilling, heartfelt, and sometimes downright shocking. From historic wins and emotional speeches to unexpected mishaps, the Oscars have delivered some of pop culture’s most iconic scenes.
As the countdown to the 2025 ceremony draws closer, We look back at some of the greatest moments in Oscars history.
In a bold political statement, Marlon Brando refused his Best Actor Oscar for The Godfather, sending Native American activist Sacheen Littlefeather to decline the award on his behalf as a protest against Hollywood’s portrayal of Indigenous people.
Sacheen died in October 2022, weeks after the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences issued an apology for how she was treated at the 1973 show.
Australian Peter Finch became the first actor to win an Oscar posthumously for his unforgettable role in Network, and the award was accepted by his wife Eletha Finch in 1977. Decades later in 2008, the family of the late Heath Ledger accepted his Best Supporting Actor award for his role as the Joker in The Dark Knight. In an emotional speech, Ledger’s father Kim told the audience: “This award tonight would’ve humbly validated Heath’s quiet determination to be truly accepted by you all here, his peers, within an industry he so loved.”
In 2002, Halle Berry became the first black woman to win Best Actress for her performance in Monster’s Ball. Overcome with emotion, Berry, pictured left, tearfully declared: “This moment is so much bigger than me.”
While walking up the stairs to accept her Best Actress award for Silver Linings Playbook in 2013, Jennifer Lawrence tripped on her Dior gown. Known for her down-to-earth charm and quirkiness, she handled the moment with humour and charm. “You guys are just standing up because you feel bad that I fell, and that’s really embarrassing, but thank you,” she said.
During her hosting gig in 2014, Ellen DeGeneres snapped a selfie with some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, including Julia Roberts, Bradley Cooper, Brad Pitt, Meryl Streep, and Jennifer Lawrence. The image went viral, briefly becoming the most retweeted photo in history.
In one of the most shocking Oscars mix-ups ever, Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway took to the stage to announce the night’s biggest award in 2017. Beatty mistakenly announced La La Land as the winner of the Best Picture — only for producers to realise mid-acceptance speech, after cast and crew had filled the stage, that Moonlight was the actual winner.
In one of the most talked-about moments of the night, Ryan Gosling took to the stage to perform I’m Just Ken from Barbie, complete with backup dancers and a dazzling pink suit.
His charismatic performance delighted audiences and cemented the song as a cultural phenomenon.
It was the moment that stopped the night and left audiences, both at home and in the room, stunned and confused. At the 2022 show, host Chris Rock made a G.I. Jane joke directed at Jada Pinkett Smith, prompting her husband, Will Smith, to walk onstage and slap Rock, before returning to his seat and shouting: “Keep my wife’s name out your f…… mouth!”
While receiving the trophy for Best Actor for his role in King Richard later that evening, Smith apologised to the Academy and his fellow nominees. His words weren’t enough: the Academy instituted a 10-year ban on the actor from attending any of the organisation’s events.
The Oscars typically opens with a humorous bit and, on occasion, a song and dance. In 1989, Rob Lowe and Eileen Bowman performed a Snow White-inspired take on Proud Mary.
The routine was a disaster, and Disney sued the show. Several stars, including Paul Newman and Julie Andrews, signed an open letter calling the performance “an embarrassment to both the Academy and the entire motion picture industry”.
For nearly a century, the Academy Awards have been the pinnacle of glitz, glamour and unpredictability.
While the Oscars celebrate the best in film, the ceremony itself has often stolen the spotlight, giving audiences moments that are thrilling, heartfelt, and sometimes downright shocking. From historic wins and emotional speeches to unexpected mishaps, the Oscars have delivered some of pop culture’s most iconic scenes.
As the countdown to the 2025 ceremony draws closer, We look back at some of the greatest moments in Oscars history.
In a bold political statement, Marlon Brando refused his Best Actor Oscar for The Godfather, sending Native American activist Sacheen Littlefeather to decline the award on his behalf as a protest against Hollywood’s portrayal of Indigenous people.
Sacheen died in October 2022, weeks after the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences issued an apology for how she was treated at the 1973 show.
Australian Peter Finch became the first actor to win an Oscar posthumously for his unforgettable role in Network, and the award was accepted by his wife Eletha Finch in 1977. Decades later in 2008, the family of the late Heath Ledger accepted his Best Supporting Actor award for his role as the Joker in The Dark Knight. In an emotional speech, Ledger’s father Kim told the audience: “This award tonight would’ve humbly validated Heath’s quiet determination to be truly accepted by you all here, his peers, within an industry he so loved.”
In 2002, Halle Berry became the first black woman to win Best Actress for her performance in Monster’s Ball. Overcome with emotion, Berry, pictured left, tearfully declared: “This moment is so much bigger than me.”
While walking up the stairs to accept her Best Actress award for Silver Linings Playbook in 2013, Jennifer Lawrence tripped on her Dior gown. Known for her down-to-earth charm and quirkiness, she handled the moment with humour and charm. “You guys are just standing up because you feel bad that I fell, and that’s really embarrassing, but thank you,” she said.
During her hosting gig in 2014, Ellen DeGeneres snapped a selfie with some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, including Julia Roberts, Bradley Cooper, Brad Pitt, Meryl Streep, and Jennifer Lawrence. The image went viral, briefly becoming the most retweeted photo in history.
In one of the most shocking Oscars mix-ups ever, Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway took to the stage to announce the night’s biggest award in 2017. Beatty mistakenly announced La La Land as the winner of the Best Picture — only for producers to realise mid-acceptance speech, after cast and crew had filled the stage, that Moonlight was the actual winner.
In one of the most talked-about moments of the night, Ryan Gosling took to the stage to perform I’m Just Ken from Barbie, complete with backup dancers and a dazzling pink suit.
His charismatic performance delighted audiences and cemented the song as a cultural phenomenon.
It was the moment that stopped the night and left audiences, both at home and in the room, stunned and confused. At the 2022 show, host Chris Rock made a G.I. Jane joke directed at Jada Pinkett Smith, prompting her husband, Will Smith, to walk onstage and slap Rock, before returning to his seat and shouting: “Keep my wife’s name out your f…… mouth!”
While receiving the trophy for Best Actor for his role in King Richard later that evening, Smith apologised to the Academy and his fellow nominees. His words weren’t enough: the Academy instituted a 10-year ban on the actor from attending any of the organisation’s events.
The Oscars typically opens with a humorous bit and, on occasion, a song and dance. In 1989, Rob Lowe and Eileen Bowman performed a Snow White-inspired take on Proud Mary.
The routine was a disaster, and Disney sued the show. Several stars, including Paul Newman and Julie Andrews, signed an open letter calling the performance “an embarrassment to both the Academy and the entire motion picture industry”.
It is a long established fact that a reader will be distracted by the readable content of a page when looking at its layout. The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution
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