The Academy Awards are one of the biggest celebrations of film and art that everyone looks forward to! But even the biggest night of the year faces a few hilarious blunders that make the event memorable for years.
From La La Land mistakenly being announced as Best Picture instead of Moonlight to John Travolta’s infamous mispronunciation of Idina Menzel’s name, these moments have left audiences stunned, amused, or outright baffled. But these are a few instances that add flavor to the award night. As everyone comes together to honor incredible talents, a few accidents are bound to happen.
Without further ado, let’s take a quick stroll down memory lane and reminisce about these hilarious moments.
10. In Memoriam confusion
The 2017 Oscars were not only a breakthrough year for cinema, but it is also known for one of the biggest blunders in the award night’s history. However, there was another crucial mistake made by the organizers that many missed. During the event’s In Memoriam segment, the reel showcased various people who contributed much to the world of cinema and are no longer alive.
But one of the pictures belonged to someone alive and well. Instead of Janet Patterson’s image, who is a renowned costume designer for The Piano and Far From the Madding Crowd, Jan Chapman’s was displayed, who is a longtime friend of Patterson. Chapman was reportedly appalled by the incident and urged Patterson’s agency to send out correct images of her.
9. Sam Smith’s wrong declaration
Sam Smith, the renowned pop singer, had won an Oscar for the Best Original song in 2016. During his speech, the singer said that he was the first openly gay man to receive an Academy Award. He misquoted Ian McKellen who previously mentioned in an interview that Smith might be the first homosexual man to win at the Academy Awards.
The statement was in fact wrong, as Elton John, Dustin Lance Black, Howard Ashman, and Scott Rudin were all openly gay when they accepted their Oscars. Although it might have been an honest mistake, doing the homework while speaking on a huge platform is necessary for a huge platform, especially to acknowledge those who paved the way.
8. Jennifer Lawrence’s epic fall
Jennifer Lawrence won her first Oscar in 2013 in the Best Actress category for her amazing performance in Silver Linings Playbook. As she walked up the stage to accept the award, she tripped over her humongous Dior gown. The actress was down for a few minutes laughing at herself and quickly picked herself up.
In the speech, she says, “You guys are just standing up because you feel bad that I fell and that’s really embarrassing but thank you.” It is one of the most viral moments in the event’s history that made the actress even more loved for her candid behavior.
Nevertheless, the small trip was more endearing than humiliating, and she became more relatable to the audience. Moreover, Lawrence became one of the youngest Oscar winners at the age of 22, making history that night and inspiring millions with her talent.
7. Laurence Olivier skips the nominees
The Best Picture award during an Oscar night is what everyone waits for, and just getting a nomination under the category is an honor. One would think Laurence Olivier was definitely in a hurry when he skipped the most crucial part of an award night! Nominees showcase the various artists that are selected for consideration to win the award, and that in fact, is a huge honor.
When Olivier walked up the stage to announce the winner for the Best Picture in the 1985 Academy Awards, he very casually skimmed over the nominees and announced Amadeus as the winner. The Killing Fields, A Passage to India, Places in the Heart, and A Soldier’s Story received a nomination that night.
6. John Travolta’s mispronunciation
‘Adela Dazeem’ moment has to be one of the most hilarious instances to come out of an Academy night. John Travolta was the presenter in the 2014 Oscars and he took the stage to announce the best original score. However, while announcing the winner, Idina Menzel, he completely butchered her name and said, Adela Dazeem instead.
The incident garnered much attention on social media platforms and everyone started wondering what went wrong. Travolta later recalled the moment at Jimmy Kimmel Live and said, “What? What is that name? I don’t know that name.” The instance is not just hilarious but a core memory for many that watched the show that night.
The next year, Idina Menzel took her ‘revenge’ on the actor and mispronuounced his name as well. She hilariously said, ‘Glom Gazingo’ instead of John Travolta and everyone enjoyed the fun clapback!
5. James Cameron’s “I’m the king of the world’
James Cameron’s work is undoubtedly one of the most successful directors with two highest-grossing movies. Humility might be tough for him, but this instance truly was a little too much for some to handle. During his acceptance speech for Best Director in 2008, he quoted himself and said, “I’m the king of the world’ the popular dialogue from Titanic.
Although the director meant to humor the movie by saying the dialogue out loud, it did not sit well with many viewers. Some thought he was being arrogant for quoting himself while others simply understood his reference. Nevertheless, it was a well-deserved win and he accepted it with grace.
4. David Latterman’s distasteful joke
While many incidents were funny, this one definitely is not. The renowned comedian David Letterman has been in controversy for a few jokes that went over the line, and one of them is during the Academy Awards in 1995 when he poked fun at a few of the attendees. While he introduced the iconic Oprah Winfrey to nominee Uma Thurman, he simply stated, “Oprah…Uma…Oprah…Uma.”
While the host might have done it simply as a joke, it did not land well with Winfrey. In fact, many along with Winfrey found it offensive. Later, she even refused to appear at his show for several years.
3. Microphone snatched!
The memorable moment when Kanye West took the mic away from Taylor Swift was not the only incident when that happened. While Roger Ross Williams was giving his acceptance speech for winning the 2010 Best Documentary Short at the Oscar night, producer Elinor Burkett snatched the microphone away from him and said, “The man never lets the woman talk. Isn’t that just the classic thing?” and went on to give her own speech. Unfortunately, Williams never got to give his well-prepared speech.
Burkett originally conceived the film but was later removed from Music By Prudence before filing a lawsuit against Williams. As the documentary gained traction during awards season, she found herself excluded from major ceremonies.
2. The ‘Frank’ mishap
This mistake is certainly one of the most humiliating moments in Oscar history. Frank Lloyd was announced the winner of Best Director for Cavalcade but it led to a classic confusion when the presenter said, “Come on up and get it, Frank!” Frank Capra, who was also nominated under the category, took the stage early. When he realized the mistake, Capra said, “the longest, saddest, most shattering walk of my life.”
Although that particular moment was unforgettably painful for Capra, he went on to win several Oscars of his own. He won the Best Director Oscar three times. Moreover, he also became the President of the Academy and probably his first action was to ask people to take the names clearly while announcing them.
1. Moonlight or La La Land
This moment remains one of the most memorable mishaps and certainly tops the list. Faye Dunaway took the stage to announce the winner for Best Picture in 2017 Oscars and he announced La La Land rather loudly.
As the winners, including the actors and cast took the stage, a sudden confusion arose and everybody seemed tense. Jordan Horowitz, La La Land’s producer suddenly said, “Guys, guys, I’m sorry. No. There’s a mistake. This is not a joke. Moonlight has won Best Picture,” and the whole room went silent.
It was later revealed that two employees were involved in handing out the wrong placards to the presenters which was a duplicate envelope of Best Actress Award previously won by Emma Stone. However, the iconic moment was when Ryan Gosling stood afar from the crowd and could not stop laughing at the situation. He represented the audience who was also left speechless.
Technical glitches, envelope mix-ups, and on-stage confrontations have only added to the event’s legacy, reminding us that even in an industry built on perfection, human error is inevitable. While these mishaps may be embarrassing in the moment, they often become some of the most talked-about moments in Oscar history, cementing themselves in pop culture lore.
Yet, despite the occasional blunders, the Oscars continue to celebrate the best in film, uniting industry veterans and newcomers alike under one grand spotlight. Whether it’s an inspiring acceptance speech or an unexpected on-stage disaster, the Academy Awards prove time and again that live entertainment is at its best when it’s unpredictable. And if history is any indication, future ceremonies will have their own share of unforgettable surprises.
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