Most shocking Oscar moments ever; see them here

The Oscars have always been a blend of glamour and unexpected drama, with moments ranging from shocking attacks to wardrobe malfunctions. Such incidents, including Will Smith's infamous slap and the Envelopegate blunder, continue to be fresh in audience memory even as they shape Oscar legacy.

It's the Oscars and while all that glitz and glamour is great, we’re all waiting to see if 2026 has a few deliciously shocking moments in store.

Whatever happens, it's hard to imagine anything topping Will Smith's now infamous attack on Oscar host Chris Rock, an incident for which Will is still banned.

A big wardrobe malfunction aside, last year’s Academy Awards passed by relatively quietly, but the fact is that the glitziest awards ceremony on earth all is always likely to throw up a shocking moment or three.

From fashion fails to famous faces gone as red as the iconic Oscar red carpet, the awards have rarely failed to serve up some drama or another to go with that annual parade of glitz and glamour – and, of course – trophy winners.

We look back through Oscar history and some of the most shocking Academy Awards moments ever.

There are strict rules on how long stars can waffle on for in their acceptance speech and last year’s Best Actor winner, Adrien Brody, incurred the wrath of organiser twice. But as the band played in an effort to get The Brutalist star to wrap up, Adrien embarrassed Oscar bosses by proving he really did have a point to make. “Turn the music off. I have done this before. Thank you. It’s not my first rodeo,” he said before addressing some important topics like antisemitism, war, and a general focus on oppression. Oscar speeches are usually limited to 45 seconds. Adrien’s ended up being seven minutes in total.