Top 10 Best Award Show Photobombs

Everyone photobombs differently. At the 41st annual People’s Choice Awards in 2015 however, actress Kristen Bell decided to go with “old faithful”. As Adam Sandler, Olivia Munn and Anthony Anderson posed for a picture together, Bell snuck her cute little face above their shoulders and cracked a goofy smile. It’s the kind of photobomb you’ve seen a hundred times before – hell, you’ve probably attempted it yourself - but Bell’s ability to imbue her charm and penchant for comedy into the picture make it one of our all-time favorites!

As if you weren’t already enthralled by this British thespian, here comes a picture of him photobombing U2. The incident occurred on the red carpet at the 86th Annual Academy Awards; though you’d be forgiven for thinking it was taken at a raucous celebrity house party. Cumberbatch’s photobombing style can best be described as “exuberant”. Instead of simply poking his head into an open space behind the photo’s primary subjects, he decided to take flight; spreading his wings and slapping a silly smile across his face. Well done, Mr. Cumberbatch. Well done.

Emma Thompson has been pulling Hollywood’s leg for years. She rarely holds back during interviews and isn’t afraid to get a little drunk at prestigious functions like the Golden Globes. However, for the sake of this list we’ll be focusing on her impressive photobombing skills. She busted out an epic one on the red carpet at the 20th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, back in 2014. The victim of her intrusive behavior was none other than fellow Academy Award winning actress Lupita Nyong’o - more on her in a minute. Thompson went for the “shocked” look, a classic in the photobomb repertoire.

Whether you watch their hit Netflix show or not, it’s hard not to like KJ Apa, Cole Sprouse, Lili Reinhart and the rest of the “Riverdale” gang. They ooze charisma and clearly enjoy each other’s company. This was never more apparent than when they attended the 2018 Teen Choice Awards together. As Sprouse and Reinhart posed for a picture, Apa decided to have a little fun of his own and snuck his face between their heads. The Kiwi opted for the “creeper” look, an effective if slightly unnerving technique.

Photobombing is like cooking; the better the ingredients, the better the final product will be. Thankfully, Kelly Clarkson had one of Hollywood’s most recognizable couples sitting in front of her at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards. So, when someone decided to snap a pic of Ellen DeGeneres and her wife Portia de Rossi, Clarkson saw an opportunity to make a tasty dish. The look on her face says it all! Though to be honest, we’d also struggle to contain our excitement if we found ourselves sitting behind these two celebs at an awards show!

Awards shows are unique, in that they bring together celebrities of different generations who might not otherwise cross paths. An example of this is Susan Sarandon epically photobombing the cast of “Straight Outta Compton”. The awesome pop culture moment took place at the 22nd Annual SAG Awards. What elevates this photobomb from average to excellent is the poses being struck by O’Shea Jackson Jr., Jason Mitchell and the rest of the film’s core cast. Then again, maybe it’s just part of an improbable “Straight Outta Compton” spinoff that somehow involves Susan Sarandon . . .

If you tuned in to watch the red-carpet festivities at the 2019 Golden Globes, chances are you saw a girl holding a tray of Fiji Water standing behind various celebrities. Kelleth Cuthbert, aka “Fiji Water Girl”, became an overnight sensation after she was photographed standing behind a slew of A-list stars. From Amy Adams and Idris Elba to Kaley Cuoco and Jim Carrey, none were safe from her photobombing campaign - unintentional or otherwise. While there were multiple Fiji Water hostesses making the rounds on the red carpet, she’s the only one to have achieved meme status since the event. You know you’re a top notch photobomber when you photobomb literally everyone.

At this point we think it’s safe to say that Jesse Tyler Ferguson has got his photobombing style down pat. The “Modern Family” star has been caught not once, but twice, merrily leaping behind celebrities at awards shows. The most recent occurrence took place during the 2017 Vanity Fair Oscar Party. Ferguson was photographed launching himself into the air behind fellow actor Sarah Paulson. He first showed off the move at the 2013 iteration of the event, inserting himself into a picture of Orlando Bloom and his then wife Miranda Kerr. The couple may have been oblivious to his antics, but we will never forget!

The 86th Annual Academy Awards were a big night for newcomer Lupita Nyong’o. She walked away with an Oscar for her performance in the critically acclaimed historical drama “12 Years a Slave”. However, in the aftermath of her big win she was less focused on showing off her statuette and more concerned with properly photobombing fellow winner Jared Leto. The two can be seen backstage sporting very different reactions, with Leto appearing to speak to someone off camera and Nyong’o hamming it up behind him. We hope she wins another Oscar soon, ESPECIALLY if it gets us more great photobombs!

Before we unveil our number one pick, here are some honorable mentions:

Justin Timberlake

Aaron Paul

Patton Oswalt

Amanda Peet & Robin Tunney

Rami Malek

All hail Hollywood’s photobomb king! A self-professed prankster, Jared Leto rarely misses a chance to look foolish while standing behind one of his peers. Whether he’s goofing off behind Anne Hathaway while holding an Oscar, sticking his tongue out at random people at the Vanity Fair Oscar party, or going nuts behind Diane Kruger at the LACMA Art+Film Gala, Leto is always himself on the red carpet. One of the best things about Leto’s love of photobombing is that his style changes from picture to picture. So, no matter what year it is, or what event he’s attending, fans can always expect something new from the photobomb master!