The wildest moments in awards show history

01 of 25

Will Smith slaps Chris Rock (2022 Oscars)

Well, that escalated quickly. While presenting the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature, comedian Chris Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith's shaved head: "Jada, I love you, G.I. Jane 2, can't wait to see it." (It's unclear whether Rock knew that the actress has a condition called alopecia, which causes hair loss.) Jada's husband, Will Smith, was so offended by the comment that he marched on stage and slapped Rock across the face, and then proceeded to yell obscenities at him. Things got really uncomfortable about 20 minutes later, when a tearful Smith apologized to the Academy while accepting his Oscar for Best Actor: "I hope the Academy invites me back."

02 of 25

Madonna, Britney Spears, and Christina Aguilera kiss (2003 VMAs)

Madonna, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera Kiss at the 2003 VMAs — Kevin Kane/WireImage

Two generations of pop divas came together in a raunchy-delightful ménage. The scandalous cherry on top: The original broadcast featured a well-timed audience cut to Britney's ex, Justin Timberlake.

03 of 25

Kanye West interrupts Taylor Swift at the podium (2009 VMAs)

The 2009 MTV Video Music Awards — Christopher Polk/Getty Images

Yo, Taylor. We're really happy for you, and we're gonna let you finish, but Kanye West interrupting your MTV Video Music Awards acceptance speech was the best interruption of all time. Of all time!

04 of 25

Jack Palance does one-armed push-ups (1991 Oscars)

The then-73-year-old Hollywood lifer gave the most exuberant Oscar speech ever: After winning Best Supporting Actor for City Slickers (1991), he performed three one-armed push-ups on stage. "As far as the two-handed push-ups are concerned," he said, "you can do that all night."

05 of 25

Beyoncé reveals her baby bump (2011 VMAs)

Beyoncé is the trendiest of trending topics. But the undisputed champion of Internet-breaking events outdid herself when she ended her "Love on Top" number with official bun-in-the-oven confirmation. Earth, meet Blue Ivy.

06 of 25

Diana Ross goes hands-on with Lil' Kim's pastie (1999 VMAs)

That time Diana Ross was greeted by a small rapper in a revealing sparkly purple bodysuit, and she just couldn't stop herself from giving one boob a jiggle. Meanwhile, Mary J. Blige looked on, her expression unreadable.

07 of 25

Adrien Brody goes in for a sloppy kiss with Halle Berry (2002 Oscars)

Brody stunned everyone when he beat out Jack Nicholson, Daniel Day-Lewis, and Michael Caine to become the youngest Best Actor winner ever. Then, he surprised Halle Berry with a smooch, and it could only be all downhill from there. In 2017, Berry stated on Watch What Happens Live that she "didn't know what the f--- was going on."

08 of 25

Jodie Foster comes out (2013 Golden Globes)

The famously private Foster gave a teasingly circuitous speech about herself and Hollywood. While she came out by thanking her "heroic co-parent" and "ex-partner in love," Cydney Bernard, Foster also deconstructed what it means to come out — and the idea of privacy in a time when every celebrity has "a press conference, a fragrance, and a prime-time reality show."

09 of 25

Michael Jackson kisses wife Lisa Marie Presley (1994 VMAs)

Jackson walked on stage holding his new bride's hand. "Just think," he said, "nobody thought this would last." It did not.

10 of 25

Aretha Franklin sings opera, filling in for Pavarotti (1998 Grammys)

Every now and then, one of the world's greatest opera singers cancels an appearance at the last minute. And in 1998, the undisputed Queen of Soul agreed to fill in for him.

11 of 25

Roberto Benigni climbs over seats to reach the podium (1998 Oscars)

Roberto Benigni Climbs Over People's Seats to Reach the Podium, 1998 Oscars — Eric Draper/AP

Yes, Roberto Benigni won two awards in a single night. More impressive: He remains the only person in history to celebrate his first Oscar win by jumping on the back of Steven Spielberg's chair.

12 of 25

Ellen DeGeneres organizes an Oscar-worthy selfie (2014 Oscars)

The perfect snapshot microcosm of a whole era in Hollywood history. It quite literally overloaded Twitter with the number of retweets. Also, proof that Bradley Cooper is very good at framing.

13 of 25

Lady Gaga wears a meat dress (2010 VMAs)

Gaga's rise to fame turned into a game of fashion brinkmanship, with the ascendant diva constantly topping herself for eccentric style. The grotesque high point: the meat dress, complete with an uncooked-meat cap.

14 of 25

Best Picture mix-up (2017 Oscars)

'La La Land' producer Jordan Horowitz holds up the winner card reading actual Best Picture winner 'Moonlight' — Kevin Winter/Getty Images

And the Oscar goes to…absolute chaos! Closing out the 2017 Oscars, Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty presented the Best Picture category, with La La Land as the frontrunner and Moonlight nipping at its heels. And, wow, did Moonlight pull off a stunning victory — but not in a way that anyone imagined. After Beatty opened the envelope, he briefly paused, and then had Dunaway read the winner: La La Land. The film's cast and producers hit the stage, and acceptance speeches were made. But as the celebration continued, a commotion started to spill onto the stage and Moonlight producer Jordan Horowitz returned to the microphone to announce: "There's a mistake. Moonlight, you guys won Best Picture. This is not a joke." He then held up Moonlight's winning card for everyone to see. (Apparently, Beatty had been given the Best Actress envelope by mistake.) It was a gracious transfer of power — and the wildest, strangest ending to the Oscars, ever.

15 of 25

John Travolta screws up Idina Menzel's name (2014 Oscars)

Oh, the unplanned joys of live television! We expect the unexpected — accidental F-bombs, political demonstrations, wardrobe malfunctions. But when the Pulp Fiction (1994) star introduced the Frozen songstress as "Adele Dazeem," he raised the act of flubbing into a Twitter-imploding art form.

16 of 25

Lady Gaga stuns with Julie Andrews tribute (2016 Oscars)

A half-decade on from butcher-chic, Gaga confirmed her newfound mature phase with a musical medley honoring The Sound of Music (1965). A visibly delighted Julie Andrews appeared on stage to bless her with a hug.

17 of 25

Melissa Etheridge makes her first appearance with her shaved head while fighting cancer (2005 Grammys)

Melissa Etheridge Makes Her First Appearance With Her Bald Head While Fighting Cancer, 2005 Grammys — Kevin Mazur/WireImage

Coming off a round of chemotherapy for breast cancer, the singer-songwriter dueted on "Piece of My Heart" in tribute to Janis Joplin. The song became a cancer-battle anthem — and once again confirmed Etheridge as one of music's bravest, most unapologetic performers.

18 of 25

Britney Spears performs with albino python (2001 VMAs)

At the turn of the millennium, Britney Spears simply was MTV. One year after stripping to the Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction," she returned with her most gloriously shameless VMA display: "I'm a Slave 4 U," performed with an extraordinarily unsubtle python.

19 of 25

Jennifer Lawrence trips on her way to the podium (2013 Oscars)

A perfect moment: Ascendant young superstarlet crowns a big year with the big prize. A minor calamity: The starlet falls on the steps. An even more perfect moment: She picks herself up, not even noticing that Hugh Jackman and Bradley Cooper — two of PEOPLE's Sexiest Men Alive! — were running to her aid.

20 of 25

Van Halen reunites for the first time in a decade (1996 VMAs)

"This is the first time that we've actually stood on stage together in over a decade," declared Van Halen singer David Lee Roth, who reunited ever-so-briefly with his fellow band members.

21 of 25

Jennifer Hudson performs emotional "You Pulled Me Through" after murders of her mother, brother, and nephew (2009 Grammys)

Mere months after the devastating shooting deaths of her mother, brother, and nephew, the Idol breakout–turned–Oscar winner delivered an impossibly touching performance on stage. (She also won her first Grammy that night.)

22 of 25

David Letterman cracks painful "Uma... Oprah..." joke (1994 Oscars)

Letterman's Oscar-hosting gig wasn't as bad as you might remember — except for his opening Uma Thurman/Oprah Winfrey riff, a dead-air gag that became the go-to example of award-show train-wreck hosting.

23 of 25

Bob Dylan gets Soy Bombed (1998 Grammys)

Dylan was pleasantly singing "Love Sick," a song so inoffensive that Victoria's Secret turned it into an ad. Then performance artist Michael Portnoy ran up next to Dylan, "Soy Bomb" scrawled across his bare chest. Gesticulating (and gate-crashing TV history) ensued.

24 of 25

Robin Thicke twerks with Miley Cyrus (2013 VMAs)

Briefly popular thanks to "Blurred Lines," Thicke walked on stage for his big moment wearing a supervillain striped suit. He immediately got twerked right out of the zeitgeist by Cyrus, wearing a suggestive foam finger and nude latex bra and panties.

25 of 25

Christopher Reeve introduces film clips about social issues after his accident (1995 Oscars)

Christopher Reeve Introcues Film Clips About Social Issues After His Accident, 1995 Oscars — Eric Draper/AP

Less than a year after an accident left him paralyzed from the neck down, the once and future Superman appeared on stage. The standing ovation lasted a full minute. Then, he started talking — and had to keep pausing for more applause.