Top 20 Biggest Oscar Shocks of All Time

The Oscars have seen their fair share of outrageous stunts over the years, but few have been as shocking as when John Cena took the stage in nothing but his birthday suit. Technically, he was wearing flesh-colored underwear covered only by the envelope for Best Costume Design, but for the audience, it was an eyeful, nonetheless. The skit, alongside host Jimmy Kimmel, was a nod to the streaker incident in 1974 (more on that later). As for the muscular WWE superstar, his trademark saying, “you can’t see me,” was certainly not in effect this time around.

For the most part, the Oscars are known for their elegance and prestige. However, in 2013, host Seth MacFarlane turned heads with a shocking musical number. As a portion of his opening segment, MacFarlane performed “We Saw Your Boobs,” a song that gleefully listed actresses who had appeared nude in films - including many in serious, dramatic roles. The song was later criticized as “tasteless” and “sexist,” making it one of Oscars’ most controversial moments. To be fair to McFarlane though, this felt very much in line with his trademark humor. Did the Academy even see “Family Guy” before hiring him?

Naturally, familial embraces at award shows are commonplace, but Angelina Jolie’s display of affection at the 2000 Oscars left audiences pretty shook. You see, after winning Best Supporting Actress for “Girl, Interrupted,” Jolie took to the stage and delivered a now-infamous speech where she declared, “I’m so in love with my brother right now.” The statement, along with her and her brother’s over-the-top kisses during awards season, left many uncomfortable. While Angelina and her brother James insisted it was just a show of sibling love, the public found the entire moment extremely bizarre.

Attending the Oscars is said to be the equivalent of living out a fairy-tale fantasy. And so, fancy gowns and lavish attires are always on display. Sometimes, however, select fashion choices shock everyone. And while Cher’s 1986 Bob Mackie number turned heads, nothing bewildered audiences more than Icelandic singer Björk’s, shall we say – interesting, attire in 2001. Wearing a full-on swan dress, designed to look like an actual swan draped around her body, the outfit was mocked by critics and viewers alike. Steven Cojacuru[a], a red-carpet fashion critic, even referred to it as “probably the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen.” Yeesh.

Ties at the Oscars are certainly rare - but this one was historic. In 1969, the Best Actress category ended in a dead tie between Barbra Streisand for “Funny Girl” and Katharine Hepburn for her turn in “The Lion in Winter.” The shock was real when presenter Ingrid Bergman announced the tie and Streisand’s name was called right after Hepburn’s. While Hepburn wasn’t present, Streisand took the stage and famously greeted her brand-new Oscar with a “Hello, gorgeous”- a nod to her film’s iconic line. While there have since been ties on the big show, this was the last one (as of publishing) in an acting category.

We get it, winning an Oscar is exciting, but Adrian Brody took things a little too far when he won Best Actor for “The Pianist.” As the actor made his way to the stage, he grabbed presenter Halle Berry and planted a full-on, surprise kiss on her lips. The unexpected moment saw Berry’s eyes widen in shock as the audience reacted with cheers and gasps. Years later, many debated whether the incident was inappropriate. At the time it was mostly seen as good-natured spontaneity. It’s certainly a moment audiences (and Halle Berry) will never forget.

It turns out Chris Rock is no stranger to controversial Oscar moments. He’s certainly no stranger to roasting celebrities. However, when the comedian took jabs at Jude Law during the 2005 ceremony, Sean Penn was not amused. As host, Rock joked about Law’s sudden rise in Hollywood and his presence in seemingly everything over the past year. Penn, while later presenting an award, would go off-script to defend his fellow actor, saying “Jude Law is one of our finest actors.” Viewers were surprised by Penn’s humorless response, making the moment one of the most awkward presenter exchanges in Oscar history.

Ok, you’re probably wondering what’s so shocking about a standing ovation at the Oscars - clearly there have been plenty at the big show. Well, trust us when we say that Charlie Chaplin’s reception in 1972 was on a whole other level. After being exiled from the United States for two decades due to political controversies, Chaplin was finally invited back to accept an honorary award. The moment he took the stage, the audience erupted into applause… and it - just - didn’t - stop. For twelve whole minutes, Hollywood’s biggest stars stood in reverence, making it the longest ovation in Oscar history.

It’s not that John Travolta simply mispronounced a name, it’s that he shockingly butchered it – seemingly creating a whole new one in the process. Yep, the “Pulp Fiction” star’s blunder at the 2014 Oscar ceremony became legendary. As Travolta introduced Idina Menzel for her performance of “Let It Go,” he confidently called her the “wickedly talented” Adele Dazeem. Wait, what? The bizarre mispronunciation instantly became meme material, with fans and even Menzel herself poking fun at the gaffe. Travolta got a do-over the following year – but was criticized for being extra touchy on stage.

It was an upset so shocking, it even surprised the show’s producers. You see, the 2021 Best Actor category had been widely expected to go to Chadwick Boseman posthumously for “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” It’s said that the Academy rearranged the ceremony to end with Best Actor instead of Best Picture, seemingly setting up an emotional tribute for Boseman. But, when Anthony Hopkins was announced as the winner for “The Father”- and wasn’t even present to accept - viewers were stunned. While Hopkins delivered a gracious tribute to Boseman the next day, the moment remains one of the biggest shocks of all time.

There’s a reason Marisa Tomei’s 1993 Best Supporting Actress win for “My Cousin Vinny” remains one of the most talked-about upsets in Academy Awards history. Despite not being anywhere near a frontrunner - having missed nominations at the Golden Globes and BAFTAs - Tomei’s sharp and hilarious performance as Mona Lisa Vito somehow earned her the golden trophy over the likes of Vanessa Redgrave and Miranda Richardson. The shock victory was such an upset that the moment sparked widespread conspiracy theories suggesting her name was announced by mistake by presenter Jack Palance. This rumor has since been debunked, however.

The opening of the 1989 Oscars is the stuff of head-scratching legend. For the broadcast, producer Allan Carr enlisted Steve Silver to create a musical number inspired by “Beach Blanket Babylon.” Featuring classic Hollywood stars, the performance notably included Rob Lowe singing a parody of “Proud Mary” alongside Eileen Bowman dressed as Snow White. The spectacle was widely criticized, with industry legends like Julie Andrews, Gregory Peck, and Paul Newman calling it an embarrassment. Heck, the Walt Disney Company pursued legal action. And while the lawsuit was eventually dropped, then-Academy President Richard Kahn apologized for the shockingly odd fever dream.

Best Picture is the most coveted award at the Oscars, and let’s just say the Academy doesn’t always get it right – like when “How Green Was My Valley” beat out "Citizen Kane" in 1942. Fast-forward many years later and “Green Book,” a biographical drama from director Peter Farrelly, faced immediate criticism for its shock win. This was due to a perceived whitewashed perspective and misrepresentation of the true story. The family of Don Shirley, the film’s real-life inspiration, even publicly condemned it. “Green Books” divisive nomination and eventual win felt even more surprising thanks to the strong competition. With the likes of “Roma” and “BlacKkKlansman” in the running, many argued other films were far more deserving.

As we’ve seen, nudity at the Oscars isn’t as rare as one might think (right John Cena?). In fact, the 1974 Oscars took a comically shocking turn when a streaker sprinted across the stage. Baring it all for millions to see, the unexpected “guest” made his appearance just as presenter David Niven was introducing Elizabeth Taylor. The audacious gatecrasher, later identified as Robert Opel[b], left the in-person audience in stunned laughter. The moment was certainly a surprise, one that showed that anything can happen at the Oscars. As for Nivens, he used his British wit to quip about the man’s *ahem* "shortcomings.”

Leading up to the 2006 Oscar ceremony, Ang Lee’s LGBTQ love story, “Brokeback Mountain,” had dominated awards season, making it the runaway favorite for that year’s Best Picture winner. To the shock of everyone, however, the award wound up going to “Crash”- a movie often criticized for its heavy-handed approach to race relations. The backlash was immediate, fueling debates about Hollywood and the Academy’s reluctance to embrace progressive storytelling. Interestingly, years later, a hypothetical revote by The Hollywood Reporter confirmed what many had suspected, “Brokeback Mountain” should have won.

The 2003 Best Director win at the Academy Awards was shocking not just for who won the award, but for who wasn’t there to accept it. You see, Roman Polanski, having fled the U.S. after pleading guilty to serious crimes in 1977, was legally unable to attend the ceremony (Harrison Ford accepted on his behalf). However, that didn’t stop the Academy from awarding him the top director prize for “The Pianist.” With the in-person audience even offering up a standing ovation, the moment sparked public backlash. Though the Academy would officially expel Polanski in 2018, for many, it was a move that came far too late.

Best Picture upsets perhaps don’t get any more infamous than this one. Yep, the 1999 Academy Awards delivered a stunning surprise when “Shakespeare in Love” defeated “Saving Private Ryan.” Lauded for its harrowing realism, Spielberg’s gripping war epic was by far the heavy favorite. While “Shakespeare in Love” had strong industry support and numerous nominations, many credit its victory to now-disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein. It’s said that Weinstein’s awards campaign was overly aggressive and even underhanded. The win remains one of the most notorious examples of Oscar politicking. It’s also made even more unsettling in hindsight given Weinstein’s own shocking downfall.

Few moments shook the Oscars like Marlon Brando declining his Best Actor win for "The Godfather." While screenwriter Dudley Nichols was the first to initially refuse the award, and actor George C. Scott declined his for “Patton”, no refusal was more infamous than Marlon Brando’s in 1973. Even though the thespian had accepted an Oscar for “On the Waterfront” years earlier, Brando instead sent Sacheen Littlefeather to the stage in his place. She would cite Hollywood’s mistreatment of Native Americans and bring attention to the Wounded Knee standoff. The moment was certainly groundbreaking, but it also led the Academy to tighten its rules on proxy acceptances.

The 2017 Oscars not only delivered one of the most shocking moments in award show history, but in all of live television. After presenters Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway announced “La La Land” as Best Picture, the film’s team took the stage to accept their award. However, chaos erupted mid-acceptance speech as an error would awkwardly be revealed - leading to “Moonlight” being declared the true winner. The mix-up, caused by PricewaterhouseCoopers’ accountant Brian Cullinan[c] mishandling of the envelopes, turned into an unforgettable disaster dubbed “Envelopegate.” While the “La La Land” producers naturally stepped aside, the confusion overshadowed what should have been a triumphant moment for “Moonlight.”

It was the slap heard round the world! When comedian Chris Rock made a throw-away joke about Jada Pinkett-Smith’s shaved head at the 2022 Oscars, Jada’s husband, Will Smith, met Rock on stage and slapped him in the face. The confrontation left the in-person audience (and at home viewers) with their jaws on the floor. The subsequent bleeped outburst only added to the widespread discussions on professionalism, anger management, and boundaries at the Oscars. The slap reverberated throughout the night, overshadowing the awards ceremony, including Smith’s own win for Best Actor - where he was curiously given a standing ovation. The actor has since received a 10-year ban from the event.

Did you witness any of these shocking Oscar moments live? Share your reactions in the comments below.

https://youtu.be/dof5Nq7zFM0?si=n_shsm-9UsJaqz6B&t=34
[b]Robert Opel https://youtu.be/mAVqfald2IQ?t=23
[c]Brian Cullinan = https://youtu.be/0jV9rNX41a8?t=10