Buzz
Awards season has returned, but many people don’t find the idea of watching wealthy celebrities congratulating one another all that thrilling. Occasionally, though, a typically dull ceremony is shaken up by something truly unexpected.
These events can be downright hilarious at times. Other instances leave us completely puzzled, and, on rare occasions, they are unsettling or even disturbing. Here are ten of the most astonishing moments in award show history.
10. James Franco Rocks A Dress While Presenting The Oscars
The choice to have actors James Franco and Anne Hathaway present the 2011 Academy Awards was an effort by the producers to attract a younger audience while still maintaining traditional Academy values. Hathaway, at just 28, became the youngest-ever host of the ceremony, and she and Franco marked the first male-female hosting duo since 1957. However, things seemed a bit muddled that night as they appeared on stage with Hathaway in a tuxedo and Franco wearing a strapless evening gown and a blonde wig—an homage to Marilyn Monroe in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
Producer Bruce Cohen, who selected the younger stars to host, thought they embodied the best of the new generation of performers. The result, however, wasn’t quite as successful as anticipated. The duo faced heavy criticism, particularly for their peculiar drag sequence and an uncomfortable dynamic, with Hathaway showing an overabundance of enthusiasm while Franco seemed to lack any. Prior to the event, Hugh Jackman had advised them to have fun—but perhaps he should’ve reminded them that the fun should extend to the audience as well.
9. Spike Milligan Offends Prince Charles
While Spike Milligan doesn’t have quite the same legendary reputation in the US as he does in the UK, he is considered one of the greatest comedians of all time there. His most iconic work was the radio comedy The Goon Show, which aired on BBC Radio in the 1950s and featured Peter Sellers. The show’s innovative surrealism shattered comedy norms and influenced Monty Python, becoming a lifelong favorite of Prince Charles. The prince began listening to it during his school days when it was first broadcast and remains such a fan that he became an honorary patron of the Goon Show Preservation Society in 1998.
Considering all of this, it’s hardly surprising that Spike Milligan was selected to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award at the British Comedy Awards in 1994. However, Milligan’s unpredictable nature, combined with his long battle with manic depression, meant that the award presentation became unforgettable for reasons no one anticipated. As the host began reading a tribute from Prince Charles, Milligan interrupted, calling the prince a “little groveling bastard,” which caused the audience to burst into shocked laughter. The incident was captured on film, but Charles took it in stride, and Spike was still knighted in 2001.
8. Christine Lahti’s Absence
While many actors might dread the possibility of missing their moment of glory while in the bathroom, Christine Lahti lived that nightmare at the 1998 Golden Globes. The Chicago Hope star won the award for Best Actress in a Drama Series for her role in the show—but unfortunately, she was in the middle of a bathroom break when her win was announced. The awkwardness escalated as Lahti didn’t return to the ceremony for several minutes after the announcement, leaving both attendees and viewers in an uncomfortable limbo.
In a surprising turn of events, comedian Robin Williams stepped in and performed an impromptu stand-up set to fill the awkward silence until Lahti returned. When she finally made it to the stage to accept her award, she was still drying her hands on a towel and admitted she was in the middle of flushing the toilet when she was informed of her win. We can only imagine it was one of those toilets that requires multiple flushes before it works properly.
7. Angelina Jolie’s Awkward Moment with Her Brother
Today, as a renowned and respected actress and director, who has risen to the status of Hollywood royalty, it’s easy to forget the wild, rebellious side of Angelina Jolie when she first became a star. At the 2000 Academy Awards, the young actress won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her breakout role in Girl, Interrupted. While her performance had been widely praised, the way she chose to celebrate the victory was far more shocking.
The controversial moment began on the red carpet before the ceremony, where she shocked onlookers by giving her brother James Haven a full kiss on the lips—not the typical sibling peck on the cheek. The press was scandalized and thrilled, but it didn’t stop there. During her acceptance speech, she boldly declared that she was “so in love” with her brother. Given the earlier kiss, Haven likely had a pretty good idea of how she felt, but it must have been nice to hear it out loud.
6. Kenneth Horne Collapses While Hosting
The name Kenneth Horne might not be familiar to many in the US, but in the UK, his 1960s radio show Round the Horne was a beloved hit that pushed boundaries by featuring gay characters Julian and Sandy. These characters spoke in an underground gay slang called “polari,” with Horne playing the straight man—both literally and figuratively—who was often bewildered by the world around him.
Kenneth Horne’s immense popularity meant he was in high demand during the latter half of the 1960s. On February 14, 1969, he hosted the prestigious Guild of Television Producers' and Directors' Awards at the Dorchester Hotel in London. Sadly, this event would be marked by tragedy. Just before one of the awards was announced, Horne collapsed at the podium and passed away from a massive heart attack.
The ceremony was being recorded for later television broadcast, so the moment when Horne collapsed was cut from the footage, and an announcer explained the awkward pause to the viewers. It was later revealed that Horne had been prescribed heart medication but had stopped taking it after a faith healer advised him that it wasn’t necessary.
5. Jarvis Cocker Interrupts
In 1996, Michael Jackson was at the peak of his fame, even after facing allegations of child abuse. So when he agreed to perform at the Brit Awards, it was a major event. That year, the UK music scene was thriving, particularly thanks to the success of bands in the “Britpop” movement, including Oasis, Blur, and Pulp, all of whom were present at the awards. This set the stage for an unusual incident involving Jackson and Pulp's lead singer, Jarvis Cocker, which would make headlines and lead to police questioning Cocker.
Jackson's extravagant performance involved him wearing robes while surrounded by poor children he was supposed to be saving. However, the dramatic spectacle was interrupted when Cocker made his way to the stage, bent over, and waved his backside at Jackson. In an astonishing turn, Cocker was taken into police custody under suspicion of assaulting the children—presumably by flashing them with his concealed behind—but common sense prevailed, and he was not charged. This unforgettable moment remains viewable in video form, and Cocker was even asked for his thoughts on the incident years later, after Jackson's death in 2009.
4. Mathilde Seigner Shares Her Strong Opinion
There are certain things that should never be done when presenting an award, such as getting drunk, cursing, or, perhaps most importantly, publicly declaring that you believe the wrong person won. French actress Mathilde Seigner, best known internationally for her role in Venus Beauty Institute, became widely recognized in France for what happened at the 2012 Cesar Awards. This event is the French counterpart to the Academy Awards, and Seigner was on stage to announce the winner for Best Supporting Actor. Among the nominees were Michel Blanc for The Minister and Joey Starr for Polisse.
The award ultimately went to Blanc, but the situation took an unexpected turn when Seigner openly stated that she would have preferred Starr to win, even going so far as to invite him onstage with the winner. Blanc attempted to ease the tension by humorously suggesting they share the award on alternate days, and Seigner later apologized through her lawyer in an effort to calm the backlash. What made the whole situation even more awkward was that she had previously referred to Starr's rap group as “dirty and ugly.”
3. Jacqueline Bissett Delivers an Awkward Acceptance Speech
There have been countless cringe-worthy award acceptance speeches, but perhaps none more infamous than Jacqueline Bissett’s at the 2014 Golden Globes. The English actress was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the miniseries Dancing on the Edge. However, when her name was called as the winner, no one could have anticipated the strange, disjointed monologue that followed her victory.
Bissett took quite a while to make her way to the stage, pausing to plant a kiss on actor Jon Voight along the way. When she did speak, her speech included multiple expletives and an unexpected statement—seemingly unrelated to anything—that the best beauty treatment is forgiveness. Despite her wealth of industry experience and previous attendance at various award shows, she appeared overwhelmed by emotion upon winning, making it difficult for her to focus or think clearly.
A few days after the ceremony, in an interview with Queen Latifah, she admitted she had not eaten or drunk anything and was still thinking about how much she wished she could have some food when her name was called as the winner. Thankfully, the microphone did not pick up the sound of her stomach growling.
2. John Travolta Mistakenly Announces the Winner's Name
The Academy Awards have long been a stage for some of the most bizarre moments in award show history, many involving John Travolta. One of the most memorable incidents took place in 2014, when Travolta was tasked with introducing Idina Menzel, the star of *Frozen*. Though this seems like an easy job, things went awry when Travolta mistakenly referred to her as 'Adele Dazeem.'
1. Bjork Brings an Egg to the Oscars
During awards season, the outfits actresses wear on the red carpet often generate as much buzz as the awards themselves. When a celebrity chooses an especially quirky dress, it can create a memorable spectacle. Icelandic singer and songwriter Bjork attended the 2001 Academy Awards in a gown designed to resemble a swan, complete with a head and neck that wrapped around one shoulder. She wore the outfit to the event as she had starred in the film *Dancer in the Dark*, for which she was also nominated for an Oscar for Best Song. While she didn’t take home the award, her ensemble generated significant media attention—most of it critical—with a writer from *The Boston Globe* even comparing her to “a refugee from the more dog-eared precincts of provincial ballet.”
As if the swan-inspired dress weren’t peculiar enough, Bjork raised her skirt on the red carpet and dropped an egg, adding even more absurdity to the moment. Marjan Pejoski, who designed the dress, found it quite amusing. Unlike some other celebrities, Bjork didn’t face backlash for her bold actions, as her eccentricity had already made her an icon. In fact, 14 years later, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) exhibited her iconic dress as part of an exhibition dedicated to her.
