Watch Mojo 10 Times Celebs Weren’t Prepared for Award Acceptance Speeches By Nick Spake Jan 4, 2026
When stars get caught off guard at award shows, magic happens! Join us as we look at the most memorable moments when celebrities were genuinely shocked to hear their names called. Our countdown includes Susan Lucci’s long-awaited Emmy, Taylor Swift’s VMAs interruption, Emily Blunt’s surprise SAG win, and more! From Merritt Wever’s incredibly brief “I gotta go” Emmy speech to the historic Moonlight/La La Land Oscar mix-up, these unplanned moments show celebrities at their most authentic. We’ll also revisit Chris Colfer’s emotional Golden Globe win, Jacob Elordi’s surprised Critics’ Choice reaction, and Bette Midler’s hilariously unprepared Golden Globes speech. Which shocking acceptance left you speechless? Let us know in the comments!
10: Jacob Elordi
“31st Critics’ Choice Awards” (2026)
Jacob Elordi brought humanity to Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein” as the doctor’s misunderstood creature, deservingly scoring a Best Supporting Actor nomination at the Critics’ Choice Awards. In a lineup that included multiple industry veterans, some assumed that the nomination was the win for the Elordi, especially since his performance was from a genre picture. Horror performed well that evening, though, with the Creature getting the respect he deserved. Elordi kicked off his acceptance speech saying that he didn’t plan for this. He thus kept things short and sweet. Still, Elordi remembered to thank the key individuals who helped make his performance possible: costume designer Kate Hawley, makeup artist Mike Hill, production designer Tamara Deverell, and, of course, del Toro.
9: Chris Colfer
“68th Golden Globe Awards” (2011)
Chris Colfer broke out on “Glee” as Kurt Hummel, a role that brought him to the Golden Globes in 2011. Nominated against four other performances that ranged from broad comedy to subtle drama, Colfer ultimately seized the spotlight. As his name was announced, Colfer found himself being embraced by his co-stars with a look of disbelief on his face. Colfer was still visibly trying to comprehend what was happening as he arrived at the stage. The performer nonetheless collected himself to deliver a witicism about the future co-stars of “May December.” He went on to thank his fellow artists, as well as those who’ve ever felt like Kurt Hummel at school. Colfer’s acceptance speech epitomized the lyric, “Don’t stop believing.”
8: Jamie Bell
“54th British Academy Film Awards” (2001)
This English actor was just becoming a teenager when he landed the role of eleven-year-old Billy Elliot. He was fourteen by the time he was nominated for Best Actor at the 2001 BAFTAs. While this was an extraordinary achievement for someone so young, the nomination seemed like it would be the climax of Jamie Bell’s awards season. He was nominated against four grown men, three of whom had recently been nominated at the Oscars. Bell wasn’t, making it all the more surprising when he won the BAFTA. Few were more shocked than Bell, who claimed in his acceptance speech that he considered not attending the ceremony, figuring he would lose. To this date, Bell remains the youngest person to win the Best Actor BAFTA.
7: Emily Blunt
“25th Screen Actors Guild Awards” (2019)
Emily Blunt was a double nominee at the 2019 SAG Awards for her work in “Mary Poppins Returns” and “A Quiet Place.” This seemed to indicate that Blunt would get her first Oscar nomination, but alas, the Academy overlooked her again that year. Five days after the Oscar nominations, Blunt attended the SAG Awards, prepared to go home empty-handed. While Blunt didn’t win for Poppins, she’d walk away with a supporting award for playing Evelyn Abbott. The room was anything but quiet when Blunt’s name was heard. Blunt expressed just how gobsmacked she was at the podium, searching for the right words. She dedicated much of her speech to her director/husband, John Krasinski, bluntly suggesting what would’ve happened if he hadn’t cast her.
6: Bette Midler
“37th Golden Globe Awards” (1980)
While Bette Midler was already an established singer and stage actress, 1979’s “The Rose” introduced her to mainstream film audiences. Before Midler knew it, she went from rising Hollywood star to winning not one, but two Golden Globes for her turn as Mary Rose Foster. Midler wasn’t anticipating the industry to shower her with accolades this quickly. With nothing prepared, Bette wrestled with telling a joke about Joan Crawford’s Golden Globes. She couldn’t resist. That arguably wasn’t even the cheekiest part of her impromptu speech, nearly biting into her statue as if it were a gold member. Midler appeared just as stunned when she won a second award that night, going from incredibly chatty to speechless as she exited the stage.
5: Merritt Wever
“65th Primetime Emmy Awards” (2013)
There are brief acceptance speeches, and then there was Merrit Wever’s at the 2013 Primetime Emmys. For her performance as Zoey Barkow on “Nurse Jackie,” Wever won Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. It was the first category of the night, setting a tone for a ceremony with more than a few unexpected wins. Wever’s victory might’ve been the most surprising, as evidenced by the look on her face as Tina Fey and Amy Poehler welcomed her to the stage. Saying thank you more than once, Wever struggled to summon any more words before telling the audience that she had to go. It might’ve been abrupt and awkward, but Wever’s speech was also cute, to the point, and relatable for any introverts watching.
4: Jack Lemmon
“55th Golden Globe Awards” (1998)
With Ving Rhames winning the Golden Globe for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film, it seemed fellow nominee Jack Lemmon wouldn’t be getting on stage that evening. Overcome with the spirit of giving, the tearful Rhames called up Mr. Lemmon, presenting him with the award. Although Lemmon initially resisted, he went with the flow while championing Ving’s kindness. Reflecting on the moment, Rhames claimed it wasn’t at all planned, saying, “God really inspired [him] to give that award to Jack Lemmon.” While Lemmon wound up keeping the Golden Globe, Rhames was later given a replacement. Lemmon also referenced Ving’s generosity two years later when he actually won a Golden Globe. Following Ving’s example, he decided to “give” the Globe to a deserving actor: Jack Lemmon!
#3: Susan Lucci
“26th Daytime Emmy Awards” (1999)
For years, “All My Children” star Susan Lucci was synonymous with the term “losing streak.” By 1999, Lucci had been nominated for playing Erica Kane eighteen times. Guess how many times she had won. Even if you didn’t watch daytime soaps, references to Lucci’s losing streak invaded other facets of popular culture. Lucci even got in on the joke when she hosted “SNL” one year. Lucci believed her nineteenth nomination would be another loss, despite others saying this was her time. They were proven correct when presenter Shemar Moore proclaimed that the streak was over. It was a moment that Lucci genuinely started to think would never happen. Yet, there Lucci was, receiving a standing ovation as she finally got to accept this overdue award.
#2: Taylor Swift “
26th MTV Video Music Awards” (2009)
On the heels of a breakthrough year, it wasn’t all that surprising to see Taylor Swift accept the VMA for Best Female Video. What nobody could’ve predicted was Kanye West getting on stage, declaring Beyoncé had one of the best music videos of all time. Beyoncé tried to set things right when she won Video of the Year later in the ceremony, welcoming Swift on stage to deliver the speech that West rudely interrupted. The rest is history… a very messy history. More than a decade and a half later, Swift is reportedly even wealthier than Beyoncé, and West’s VMA incident arguably isn’t the most controversial stunt he’s ever pulled. Regardless, this moment remains ingrained in pop culture – one that left everyone speechless, especially Swift.
#1: “Moonlight” Team
“89th Academy Awards” (2017)
While many had pegged “La La Land” as the Best Picture frontrunner, some predicted that “Moonlight” would pull off an underdog victory. There was another scenario that nobody had on their bingo sheet. As presenter Warren Beatty hesitated to announce the winner, Faye Dunaway called out “La La Land.” The musical’s producers gave their speeches as they accepted the trophies, seemingly capping off a successful Oscar Night. In the vein of Colombo, there was just one more thing. “Moonlight” actually won Best Picture! Such a mix-up seemed unfathomable until Jordan Horowitz held up the card with “Moonlight” printed on it. After Beatty tried to explain what happened, the “Moonlight” crew got to speak, but their speeches were largely eclipsed by the insanity that just transpired.
