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When you’re a famous actor or singer, being recognized at award shows is the ultimate stamp of approval. Performing at award shows is another highlight that can become a memorable moment in your career. Presenting an award can be a nerve-racking experience for anybody and if it goes well, you can walk away breathing a sigh of relief.
However, sometimes these moments don’t go well. When you’re on live television it’s inevitable that things will not always go as planned. There are plenty of mishaps and shocking moments that have occurred at award shows over the years.
Here’s a look at some of those moments and how these stars handled them.
8/8 Will Smith Slapping Chris Rock At The Oscars
When Chris Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett-Smith during his set at the 2022 Oscars, her husband, Will Smith, wasn’t having it. Rock made a joke about Pinkett-Smith’s bald head, saying it looked like she was going to star in “G.I. Jane 2.” Smith proceeded to walk on stage and slap Rock across the face. When he sat down, Smith yelled and cursed at Rock, who was stunned. Smith went on to win Best Actor, but resigned from the Academy after the incident. He also issued more than one public apology to Rock, including a YouTube video where he answered questions about the incident.
7/8 A Streaker Runs On Stage At The Academy Awards
During the 46th Academy Awards in 1974, David Niven was on stage hosting the event when a streaker ran across the stage. Niven handled the situation well, saying to the audience, “Well, ladies and gentlemen, that was almost bound to happen… But isn’t it fascinating to think that probably the only laugh that man will ever get in his life is by stripping off and showing his shortcomings?”
The streaker was a photographer and art gallery owner named Robert Opel. After the incident, evidence was revealed which suggested that Jack Haley, Jr., the show’s producer, was behind the whole thing. Opel was murdered in 1979 during an armed robbery of his San Francisco studio. He was just 39 years old.
6/8 Adele Restarts Her Song At The Grammys
Adele was on stage during the 2017 Grammy Awards performing her tribute to George Michael. Adele was singing a version of Michael’s song “Fastlove” and stopped about a minute into the performance. Adele has previously experienced sound problems during her performance at the Grammys a year prior. However, she wasn’t going to let the same issues mess up her tribute to the late singer. She told the crowd that she couldn’t “mess this up for him.” Adele was very apologetic to the crowd, who were very supportive of her move. In the end, she was able to restart the song and delivered an exceptional performance.
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5/8 Kanye West Ruins Taylor Swift’s Acceptance Speech
When Taylor Swift received the award for Best Female Video at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, she was thrilled. So were most of the people there. Swift won the award for her video “You Belong With Me.” One person who wasn’t thrilled, however, was Kanye West. West stormed the stage of the event and took the microphone from Swift’s hand. He proceeded to say that Beyoncé, who was nominated in the same category, should’ve won instead. When Beyoncé won Video of the Year, she invited Swift on stage to deliver an acceptance speech instead.
4/8 Miley Cyrus Gets Called Out By Nicki Minaj During The VMAs
When Nicki Minaj was accepting her VMA in 2015 for Best Hip Hop Video, she called out host Miley Cyrus during her speech. Minaj said, “Back to this b**** who had a lot to say about me the other day in the press. Miley what’s good?”
Minaj expressed disappointment with MTV over the fact that her “Anaconda” video wasn’t nominated in a category that included Swift. Minaj claimed it felt like MTV was only celebrating “skinny” women. Swift tweeted to Minaj directly about her comment. Cyrus was later asked about this in an interview with The New York Times and said that she felt Minaj made it all about herself.
3/8 Jennifer Lawrence Trips And Falls At The Oscars
Jennifer Lawrence tripped and fell as she was walking up the stairs to accept her Oscar in 2013. She won the Best Actress trophy for her role in Silver Linings Playbook. When she got on stage, Lawrence was met with a standing ovation. She told the crowd, “You’re only standing up because I fell on the stairs. I feel so embarrassed.” Lawrence claimed that her dress was too long and caused her to trip. She later confronted Anderson Cooper after he suggested it was a planned stunt. Lawrence said that he apologized to her.
2/8 Madonna Falls Down The Stairs During Her Brit Awards Performance
As Madonna performed her single “Living For Love” at the 2015 Brit Awards, she took a nasty tumble down the stairs. Madonna said that her cape was too heavy and she tied the bow extra tight to stay on as she made her entrance. Unfortunately, when it was time to untie the cape, it went into a knot. So the dancers at the bottom of the staircase pulled the cape without realizing it was still tied around Madonna’s neck. Thankfully, Madonna wasn’t seriously hurt and continued the performance like the pro that she is!
1/8 The Infamous Oscar Envelope Mix-Up
When Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway were presenting the Oscar for Best Picture in 2017, Beatty took a long pause. He looked at Dunaway with a confused expression and she read out the winner, “La La Land!” The group from La La Land took to the stage and began accepting the award. However, crew members stepped on stage and it was revealed that La La Land didn’t win at all. The actual winner was Moonlight. Beatty explained to the audience that the card read, “Emma Stone, La La Land.” It was later explained that there are two of each card and someone handed Beatty the wrong card on stage.
