By: Hermekay Dehaney
Over the years, the Oscar ceremony has delivered everything from heartfelt wins to shocking surprises, giving the audience a lot to talk about afterward. In honor of the annual Oscar awards taking place on March 2, here is a look back at some of the most memorable Oscar moments from over the years — the good, the bad, and one of the most unforgettable.
The Good:
‘Parasite’ groundbreaking win (2020)
‘Parasite’ was the first non-English language film to win Best Picture. Created by Bong Joon-ho, the South Korean film won Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best International Feature Film. This win marked a turning point for the Academy because it showed that there is a potential shift to embrace international films rather than just sticking to Hollywood movies.
Leonardo DiCaprio wins first Oscar (2016)
Leonardo DiCaprio is arguably one of the most well known actors in the world. He has acted since the late 1980s, best known for movies such as ‘Titanic,’ ‘The Great Gatsby,’ and ‘The Wolf of Wall Street.’ Even after so many famous movies, and 7 Oscar nominations, Leonardo DiCaprio finally won his first Oscar for his role in ‘The Revenant,’ in 2016. He was received with a well-deserved standing ovation from the audience. He took time out of his speech to raise awareness of climate change, he said, “Climate change is real, it is happening right now, it is the most urgent threat facing our entire species, and we need to work collectively together and stop procrastinating.”
Halle Berry’s Historic Win (2002)
Halle became the first Black woman to win Best Actress for her role in, ‘Monster’s Ball.’ In her heartfelt acceptance speech, she says, “This moment is so much bigger than me. This moment is for Dorothy Dandridge, Lena Horne, and Diahann Carroll. It’s for the women who stand beside me: Jada Pinkett, Angela Bassett, and Vivica Fox. And it’s for every nameless, faceless woman of color that now has a chance because this door tonight has been opened.” Her speech remains one of the most powerful moments in Oscar history.
The Bad:
‘Moonlight’/’LaLa La’ mix-up (2017)
The 2017 Oscar ceremony is remembered for the most infamous line in Academy Awards history. 2 ½ minutes into ‘LaLa Land’s’ Best Picture win, announced by Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty, ‘LaLa Land’ producer Jordan Horowitz informed the audience that, “There’s been a mistake. ‘Moonlight’, you guys won Best Picture. This is not a joke.” That shocking reveal overshadowed what should have been a celebratory win for ‘Moonlight.’
Adrien Brody’s Awkward Speech (2025)
Adrien Brody broke the record for the longest Oscar-winning acceptance speech, beating the record set in 1943 by Greer Garson. The speech was 5 minutes and 40 seconds of pure awkwardness. While walking on stage to accept his award, Adrien Brody spit out his gum and threw it to his wife, Georgina Chapman who then proceeded to catch it. Towards the end of his lengthy speech of thanking anyone he could think of, the Academy began to play music which is a signal that your time is up. Instead of taking that as a sign, he proceeded to say, “I’m wrapping up, please turn the music off. I’ve done this before. Thank you. It’s not my first rodeo, but I will be brief.” This is not his first time doing something like this. When he accepted his award for Best Actor for the ‘Pianist’ in 2003, his speech went over time and he responded to the music cutoff by saying, “One second, please. One second. Cut it out. I got one shot at this. I didn’t say more than five names, I don’t think.”
The Unforgettable:
Will Smith slaps Chris Rock (2022)
Often referred to as “The Slap heard around the world,” due to the video becoming a viral sensation, not just in the United States, Will Smith slapping Chris Rock is still remembered to this day, which is why I placed it as the most unforgettable Oscar moment. This moment shocked audience members and people watching at home. It was caused by an uncomfortable moment when Will Smith walked onstage and slapped Chris Rock after Rock made a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith’s bald head. The incident immediately went viral and similar to the ‘Moonlight’ mix-up, this incident cast a shadow over Will Smith’s award win for Best Actor for the movie ‘King Richard’ which he won later that night.
Whether good, bad, or unforgettable, these Oscar moments shape the legacy of The Academy and also remind us of the unpredictability of live television on one of Hollywood’s biggest nights.
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