Top 10 Funniest Awards Show Speeches Ever
And the award goes to... From Jim Carrey, to Adam Sandler, to Julia Louis-Dreyfus, these hilarious acceptance speeches had us in stitches. WatchMojo counts down ten funniest award show speeches.
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Top 10 Funniest Awards Show Speeches Ever
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And the award goes to... Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Funniest Awards Show Speeches Ever. For this list, we’re looking at celebrities who brought their comedy “A” game to the trophy scene. The awards themselves don’t matter here, since this is all about the speeches.
#10: Sacha Baron Cohen
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“64th Golden Globe Awards” (2007) Known for creating controversial and very provocative caricatures, this English comedy star won a Golden Globe for his performance as Borat. Baron Cohen then spent the best part of two minutes reminiscing about a particularly… intimate fight scene he shared with his co-star, Ken Davitian. Baron Cohen highlighted this physical interaction for his victory, as nothing screams “award winner” like having another actor's wrinkly “golden globes” shoved in your face. Hey, after going through all that humiliation, both Baron Cohen and Davitian earned their moment in the spotlight.
#9: Jim Carrey
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“8th MTV Movie Awards” (1999) With a filmography including of “The Mask” and “Ace Ventura,” the beloved comedian brought his brand of wacky physical comedy to MTV's ceremony. Winning best male performer for “The Truman Show” – ironically, one of his more serious roles – Carrey showed up dressed as a Jim Morrison-esque raggedy 70's biker who would not have looked out of place in a grindhouse flick. Declaring his new found freedom from “The Man,” the charismatic comedian lambasted MTV for focusing on rap and not playing enough Foghat. Carrey also praised the ladies in attendance, a gesture that was seemingly greatly appreciated by Courtney Love.
#8: Adam Sandler
“38th People's Choice Awards” (2012) Love or hate him, Adam Sandler knows how to write a joke. After being crowned the People's Comedian, the “Saturday Night Live” alumnus used the opportunity to thank the teachers who helped make him the man he is today. Determined to not forget a single person, Sandler prepared a speech just for this special occasion. Starting from kindergarten, the comedian went through an extensive list of colorful teachers including "Mr. Bald Spot On the Side Of Your Head," the librarian "Ms. Rotten-breath," and "Ms. Never Wore a Bra."
#7: Emma Thompson
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“53rd Golden Globe Awards” (1996) Arguably, the classiest funny acceptance speech of all time. An accomplished actress and writer, Emma Thompson penned and starred in the adaptation of Jane Austen's “Sense and Sensibility”. Nominated for Best Actress and Screenplay by the Golden Globes, Thompson took home the prize for the latter. As the captivating star credited Austen for the film's success, she wondered how the author would react to the award ceremony. Emulating Austen's narrative style, Thompson read out a hilarious fan-fiction diary entry detailing Austen's experience at the “Golden Spheres”.
#6: Julia Louis-Dreyfus
“65th Primetime Emmy Awards” (2013) Fun fact - this veteran comedy superstar has won the Emmy for the Best Lead Actress in a Comedy series every year since HBO launched “Veep” in 2012. For her second victory, Julia Louis-Dreyfus decided to stay in character, with Tony Hale joining the VP on stage to carry her bag. Like Selina Meyer, Dreyfus's perfectly crafted speech is intercut with Gary's helpful reminders to thank her family. And Dreyfus and Hale are not the only ones in character, since Anna Chlumsky spends the entire speech on her phone.
#5: Steve Carell
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“63rd Golden Globe Awards” (2006) Taking home the gold for his performance as Michael Scott in “The Office,” Steve Carell proved why he was credited as the funniest man on TV. Seemingly unprepared for the ceremony, the comedian read out a speech, written by his loving wife, Nancy, while adding a few funny remarks. Thanking everyone who helped him along the way – including Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant - Carell struck a perfect balance between earnest and hilarious. If there is one thing the audiences learned, it is that Steve Carell loves his wife.
#4: Ellen DeGeneres
“42nd People’s Choice Awards” (2016) With 20 (and counting) awards under her belt, the daytime TV host holds the record for most wins at the People's Choice Awards. In honor of Ellen DeGeneres' admirable charity work and inspirational career, the public chose the comedian as their favorite humanitarian. Following a five-minutes showreel of her greatest hits, Ellen quickly lightened up the situation by concluding every genuinely emotional sentence with a bit of fake narcissism. With hilarious references to Mother Teresa and a shirtless Chris Hemsworth, the legendary celebrity earned the right to self-deprecatingly boast.
#3: Jerry Seinfeld
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“Jerry Seinfeld: The Comedian Award” (2007) This whole ersatz awards show was essentially an HBO gift to Jerry Seinfeld. Accompanied onstage by an array of funnymen, including Chris Rock and the late Garry Shandling, the comedy legend proceeded to call award ceremonies stupid, for the better part of five minutes. Coming across as a quick stand-up routine, Jerry went from explaining that comedians do not want accolades (since having work is more than enough) to saying they are the only entertainers deserving of an award. Jokingly mocking actors for not having any thoughts in their heads, Seinfeld closed the night by giving thanks to HBO.
#2: Robin Williams
“62nd Golden Globe Awards” (2005) Over the course of four decades, Robin Williams won over 60 different awards and accolades, eventually earning the Golden Globes' Cecil B. DeMille Award for his contribution to the comedy genre. The “Good Will Hunting” actor improvved his way through the five-minute speech, trying out a multitude of foreign accents (one of his signature moves) while reminiscing about his first Golden Globe victory for “Mork & Mindy”. The always humble comedian did not forget to thank the right people; mainly, the open bar and Hollywood's foreign press.
#1: Will Ferrell
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“Mark Twain Prize for American Humor” (2011) It’s the speech to end all speeches. Ron Burgundy celebrated receiving the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at New York’s Lincoln Center by delivering a gut-busting 10-minute routine that ran the whole gauntlet of emotions. Starting things off with a bang, Will Ferrell dropped and broke the award, before launching into his pre-written speech detailing how well he plans to take care of it. After mixing up Mark Twain with Colonel Sanders, the multi-talented comedian took a moment to remember his childhood dream of being an insurance salesman. Ferrell wrapped things up with a heartfelt tribute to his three wives and gave his better half some constructive criticism.
