Top 10 Worst Award Show Moments of All Time

“89th Academy Awards” (2017)

This Best Picture announcement was a slow-motion train wreck, although audiences didn’t realize what they were watching until the unthinkable happened. While we sensed something was up as Warren Beatty hesitated to read the winner, all seemed well as the “La La Land” producers delivered their acceptance speeches. That was until Fred Berger mentioned they lost. Even after Jordan Horowitz revealed “Moonlight” actually won, many were in disbelief until he presented the card as evidence. The “Moonlight” team got their moment in the spotlight, but the mix-up overshadowed the underdog film’s victory and its message, which carried significant weight following a difficult year like 2016. For some, it was a hilarious blunder, but for others, a powerful moment for African-Americans and LGBTQ+ cinema was undercut.

“27th Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards” (2014)

In her memoir “I’m Glad My Mom Died,” Jennette McCurdy opened up about her experiences with “The Creator,” presumably Dan Schneider. In one passage, McCurdy wrote that the Creator’s “most cherished life accomplishment” was his Kids’ Choice Award Blimps. In 2014, Schneider received Nickelodeon’s first Lifetime Achievement Award for his tenure of hits. Surrounded by Nickelodeon alumni, Schneider thanked those who brought him to this stage. What seemed like a sweet moment took on a disturbing sentiment over the following years as numerous stars and behind-the-scenes talent came forward, alleging Schneider had traumatized them. Although Nickelodeon cut ties with Schneider, this award is a reminder that he was once the network’s golden boy, casting a shadow over the childhood of every 90s and 2000s kid.

“76th British Academy Film Awards” (2023)


To celebrate that year’s female nominees, the BAFTAs enlisted Ariana DeBose to commence the ceremony with an empowering ballad to women. While it kind of felt like the British Academy was patting themselves on the back for diversity, the idea wasn’t bad. The execution was all wrong, though, as DeBose started rapping off names. The rhymes ranged from forced to unbelievably corny with the internet gravitating toward DeBose’s line about Angela Bassett doing the thing. What thing? Nobody seems to know, which sums up this misguided number. Although some defended DeBose’s performance, the backlash was so vocal online that she deactivated her Twitter page. DeBose later explained that she recently had walking pneumonia, but even in better health, little could’ve saved those lyrics or choreography.

“60th Primetime Emmy Awards” (2008)

Commemorating the inaugural category for reality TV hosts, all five nominees headlined that year’s Emmys. Five sounded like an excessive number to host, but we were curious how Tom, Heidi, Howie, Jeff, and Ryan would open the awards show. Maybe they could compete against each other in a parody of “Survivor” or perform a musical number poking fun at “American Idol.” Instead, the five engaged in a few minutes of inept rambling before confessing, they had nothing. Did George Costanza write this? Probably not since none of this felt even remotely scripted. It was more like five students didn’t bother to do their group project. This was as lazy as award show bits get, although it would lead to a funny callback four years later.

“24th MTV Video Music Awards” (2007)

Let’s address upfront that the public relentlessly kicked Britney Spears when she was down and the media did her dirty too. We should all look back at this dark period in Spears’ life with some regret. That said, there’s likely regret on Spears’ side as well. Among the most viral missteps was her performance at the 2007 VMAs. On the heels of bad press, Spears’ opening act was seen as a potential comeback. Instead, it provided further fodder for comedians and gossip columnists as Spears practically slept-walked through “Gimme More,” looking uncomfortable to be there. Besides YouTuber Cara Cunningham, virtually nobody had any supportive words for Spears. Even if some reviews were overly harsh, a bad performance is a bad performance. And this was B-A-D.

“61st Academy Awards” (1989)

Allan Carr was a producer of stage and screen, best known for producing the film “Grease” and the Tony Award-winning musical “La Cage aux Folles.” However, he was also the recipient of the first Razzie for Worst Picture for “Can’t Stop the Music.” So naturally, the Academy asked him to produce the Oscars several years later! Despite a few critical duds, Carr was known for spectacle, giving AMPAS hope he might breathe new life into the ceremony. The results were anything but hip, as Carr paid homage to an obscure musical revue and enlisted Golden Age stars who had been mostly forgotten. Among the only names younger audiences would’ve recognized were Rob Lowe and Snow White - played by Eileen Bowman. Disney wasn’t pleased and Lowe’s sex tape scandal didn’t help. Apologizing to Disney to avoid a lawsuit, the Academy also answered to bewildered audiences and angry AMPAS members who were embarrassed to sit through the 12-minute opening.

“2nd Source Awards” (1995)

The East Coast/West Coast hip-hop rivalry reached a pivotal turning point at the 1995 Source Awards when Suge Knight alluded to Bad Boy Records and its founder, Sean Combs. As Knight proclaimed Death Row Records the superior label, he was met with applause and boos. Just over a year later, Knight was driving alongside Tupac Shakur in a shooting that turned fatal for the latter. Biggie Smalls was gunned down months later, likely in retaliation for Shakur’s murder. There’s no way of knowing if Knight’s comments at the Source Awards factored into this tragic turn of events. In any case, it bleakly foreshadowed the deaths of two hip-hop legends. Knowing the future legal troubles that awaited Knight and Diddy only adds to the tension.

“26th MTV Video Music Awards” (2009)

Remember when interrupting someone else’s speech was the most outrageous thing Kanye West had done? To be fair, it’s still up there after all these years. For those who weren’t alive when the memes first started dominating social media, let’s rewind to 2009. Taylor Swift was a relatively fresh face in the industry, winning Best Female Video at the VMAs. The song was “You Belong with Me,” but West felt the award belonged with Beyoncé. West didn’t hesitate to share his opinion with the world, yanking the mic away. Swift got to finish her speech later thanks to Beyoncé. Since then, Swift has moved on to other hits and Kanye has moved on to other controversies, but neither may ever shake off this incident.

“94th Academy Awards” (2022)

Before 2022, people might’ve associated “The Slap” with the NBC miniseries. That changed after Chris Rock compared Jada Pinkett Smith to G.I. Jane at the Academy Awards. Will Smith seemed to take the jab in good humor, making it all the more confusing/jaw-dropping when he walked on stage, slapped Rock across the face, returned to his seat, and cussed the comic out. While some found Rock’s comment in bad taste given Pinkett Smith’s alopecia, many agreed violence wasn’t the answer. Piling onto the PR nightmare, Smith ultimately won Best Actor, delivering a long, teary-eyed speech that epitomized the phrase, “Sorry, not sorry.” He’d be seen dancing with his Oscar at the afterparty, although AMPAS banned Smith from future ceremonies for a decade.

Various

What’s the only thing cringier than seeing Harvey Weinstein accept an award? Listening to others praise the former Hollywood mogul in their acceptance speeches. According to a Quartz study, Weinstein was mentioned 34 times in Oscar acceptance speeches over a twenty-year period. That’s as many times as God was thanked with only Steven Spielberg receiving more shout-outs. This doesn’t even include all the other award shows where Weinstein was thanked. Following Weinstein’s arrest and eventual convictions for years of abuse, these acceptance speeches were tainted along with the projects and performances attached to them. Some might have reservations about thanking Weinstein, knowing what we know now. Given Weinstein’s reputation, though, failing to thank him could’ve potentially damaged someone’s career - even with an Oscar.
What do you think is the worst moment in award show history? Let us know in the comments.