Top 10 Shocking Moments From Award Shows
#10: Bob Dylan Gets Soy Bombed
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“40th Annual Grammy Awards” (1998)
The year was 1998. Legendary singer Bob Dylan had taken home three awards at the Grammys and was slated to close the ceremony with the song “Love Sick”. The performance starts off pretty normal, but around the halfway point, one of the background dancers, Michael Portnoy, decides to steal the spotlight. Portnoy, shirtless and adorned with the words “Soy Bomb” across his chest, runs up beside Dylan and engages in an eccentric contortion dance. Despite the disruption, Dylan, ever the professional, barely acknowledges Portnoy, displaying only a hint of bemusement. It takes a full 35 seconds for security to intervene and escort the “Soy Bomb” dancer off the stage, but by then, his mission was already accomplished.
#9: Miley Cyrus & Robin Thicke’s Racy Performance
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“30th MTV Video Music Awards” (2013)
2013 was the year that Miley Cyrus’ transformation from teen idol to young adult provocateur became complete. The pop star had just released her hit single “We Can’t Stop,” and went on to perform the song at that year’s VMAs. During the show, she was joined onstage by Robin Thicke for a medley that included his own global smash “Blurred Lines”. After stripping down to a nude illusion bikini, Cyrus proceeded to dance suggestively around Thicke, ultimately giving a raunchy performance that probably should’ve been kept private. Needless to say, many were left horrified. If Cyrus’ aim was to kill off her Disney persona, then this was, beyond reasonable doubt, murder in the first degree.
#8: Madonna, Britney & Christina Kiss
“20th MTV Video Music Awards” (2003)
The VMAs always stir up controversy, and the 20th edition was no exception. Two years after turning heads by dancing with an albino python (xref), Britney Spears returned for yet another scandalous performance. This time, Spears and Christina Aguilera, dressed as brides, join Madonna, who dons a groom’s attire, for a medley of her songs. The two generations of pop stars perform “Like A Virgin” and “Hollywood,” leading to a climactic moment in which Madonna suddenly kisses Spears. The cameras immediately cut to Spears’ ex, Justin Timberlake, whose expression likely mirrored the shock of the entire audience. Not stopping there, Madonna also shares a kiss with Aguilera, creating an instantly iconic moment that would be discussed for years.
#7: Ricky Gervais’ Searing Opening Monologue
“68th Golden Globe Awards” (2011)
Ricky Gervais certainly didn’t hold back when he took the stage at the 2011 Golden Globes. Gervais had also hosted the previous year, but no one was prepared for what would ensue in his opening monologue. Right off the bat, the host goes for the jugular, roasting everyone from Charlie Sheen to Cher to a certain famous Scientologist whose name we won’t mention, for legal reasons, of course. However, the focal point of his searing roast was the romantic thriller “The Tourist” which, surprisingly, received nominations in the musical and comedy categories, despite being panned by critics. While the celebrities in the audience appeared to handle the jokes with grace, Gervais was criticized by some outlets for being too corrosive.
#6: Marlon Brando Declines the Best Actor Oscar
“45th Academy Awards” (1973)
In 1973, Marlon Brando was widely expected to win the Best Actor Oscar for his transformative performance in “The Godfather”. That prediction ultimately materialized. However, what no one expected was that Brando would reject the prestigious award. The actor refused to even attend the ceremony, instead sending actress and activist Sacheen Littlefeather in his place. When Brando’s name was announced, Littlefeather declined the award on his behalf, stating that the actor regretfully couldn’t accept it. Due to time constraints, Littlefeather summarized Brando’s message, revealing his protest against the unfair treatment of Native Americans in the film industry, as well as the Wounded Knee occupation. Brando’s decision initially received mixed
#5: Nicki Minaj Calls Out Miley Cyrus
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“32nd MTV Video Music Awards” (2015)
Throughout history, celebrities have repeatedly called each other out, but rarely has it happened so publicly. After the VMA nominations were announced in 2015, Nicki Minaj criticized the show for excluding her song “Anaconda” from the Video of the Year list. When asked about this, Cyrus, who was slated to host the ceremony, seemed to imply that Minaj was handling the nomination snub poorly. Despite the controversy, Minaj ultimately won the award for Best Hip-Hop Video. However, in a shocking turn, she concluded her acceptance speech by confronting Cyrus on live TV. The remark clearly caught the singer off guard, but she quickly rebounded, responding that her words had been manipulated by the media.
#4: The Best Picture Mix-Up
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“89th Academy Awards” (2017)
Shocking doesn’t even begin to describe the concluding moments of the 2017 Oscars. Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway had stepped out to present the award for Best Picture. When Beatty opened the envelope, he first hesitated, before showing it to Dunaway who ultimately announced “La La Land”. However, this turned out to be a grave mistake, as the actual winner was “Moonlight”. Beatty had mistakenly been given the envelope for Best Actress, which contained Emma Stone’s name for “La La Land”. The team had already begun their acceptance speeches when they were informed of the mistake and had to relinquish the statuettes to the rightful winners. Absolutely no one could have predicted such a bizarre and chaotic ending to an Oscars ceremony.
#3: Steve Harvey Crowns the Wrong Contestant
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“64th Miss Universe Pageant” (2015)
The 2017 Oscars mishap was not the first time a wrong winner was announced at an awards ceremony. Just two years prior, Steve Harvey made a similar error at the Miss Universe pageant. With only Miss Colombia and Miss Philippines remaining, Harvey looked at the card and announced the former as the winner. For two minutes, Miss Colombia celebrated her apparent victory, with the crown on her head and tears streaming down her cheeks. However, her moment was abruptly cut short when Harvey revealed that he had misread the card. The real winner was Miss Philippines. The stunned beauty queen had to return to the stage, where the crown was removed from Miss Colombia’s head and placed on hers.
#2: Will Smith Slaps Chris Rock
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“94th Academy Awards” (2022)
This is the kind of incident you would never believe if you didn’t witness it firsthand. At the 2022 Oscars, comedian Chris Rock was tasked with presenting the award for Best Documentary Feature. Before announcing the winner, Rock delivered a brief monologue in which he joked about Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head. In light of the actress’ alopecia diagnosis, this joke was deemed insensitive. As a result, her husband Will Smith took it upon himself to go onstage and slap Rock in the face. He then returned to his seat and yelled profanities at the comedian. Although Smith later won the Best Actor Oscar that night, his actions earned him a ten-year ban from future Academy events.
#1: Kanye West Interrupts Taylor Swift
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“26th MTV Video Music Awards” (2009)
Winning your first VMA at 19 is a huge deal for any musician. Taylor Swift achieved this rare feat at the 26th edition of the ceremony in 2009, where she secured the award for Best Female Video. However, her special moment was overshadowed when Kanye West interrupted her acceptance speech. West took the stage, grabbed the microphone from Swift and declared that Beyoncé was more deserving of the award. After the audience booed at him, the rapper nonchalantly returned the mic and walked off, leaving Swift sorely embarrassed. Even Beyoncé clearly disapproved of West’s actions. Later in the night, when she won Video of the Year, Beyoncé graciously invited Swift back onstage to complete her speech.
Which of these outrageous award show moments did you catch live on TV? Let us know in the comments below.
