At the time of writing, the Academy Awards return Sunday night or very early Monday morning depending on where you are in the world. For film fans it is one of those annual rituals. The red carpet, the fashion debates, the emotional speeches, and the slightly awkward musical numbers all combine to create Hollywood’s biggest night.

But while the Oscars are meant to celebrate cinema, the moments people remember most are often the ones nobody planned.

Here are five of the most unforgettable.

The Slap Heard Around the World

2022 The 2022 ceremony was moving along exactly as you would expect until comedian Chris Rock took the stage to present an award. Rock has always leaned into playful crowd work at the Oscars, gently teasing celebrities sitting in the front rows.

One of those jokes referenced Jada Pinkett Smith. For a few seconds it seemed like just another awards show gag. Then something completely unexpected happened.

Will Smith stood up, walked calmly onto the stage and slapped Rock across the face in front of a global audience. The theatre fell silent. Viewers at home were equally confused about what they had just witnessed.

Smith returned to his seat and shouted the now infamous line telling Rock to keep his wife’s name out of his mouth. In an instant the ceremony shifted from glamorous celebration to one of the most surreal moments in live television.

The evening became even stranger when Smith later won Best Actor for King Richard. His emotional acceptance speech attempted to explain his actions, but the moment had already travelled around the world and become one of the most talked about Oscar incidents ever.

The Envelope That Broke the Internet

2017 Few moments in Oscar history have produced as much disbelief as the Best Picture announcement in 2017.

Presenters Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway stepped onto the stage to reveal the night’s biggest winner. Beatty paused slightly while looking at the card inside the envelope, which at the time just seemed like a moment of suspense.

Then Dunaway announced the winner as La La Land.

The cast and producers came onto the stage. Music played. Speeches began. For several minutes the celebration unfolded exactly as you would expect for a Best Picture win.

Then confusion spread across the stage. Producers began whispering to each other. Eventually one of the La La Land producers stepped forward to explain that a mistake had been made. The wrong envelope had been given to the presenters.

The real winner was Moonlight.

Watching the correction happen live felt almost surreal. It was the kind of mistake that seems impossible on a stage that rehearses every detail. Yet there it was unfolding in front of millions of viewers.

The Streaker Who Stole the Show

1974 Decades before social media could instantly turn moments into viral clips, the Oscars delivered one of the most bizarre interruptions in awards show history.

During the 1974 ceremony photographer and activist Robert Opel decided to streak naked across the stage behind host David Niven while flashing a peace sign.

The moment lasted only seconds but it completely stunned the audience.

What made it legendary was Niven’s reaction. Without missing a beat he delivered a perfectly timed line suggesting that the only laugh Opel would probably ever get in life was by showing his shortcomings.

The audience erupted with laughter and the ceremony continued. It remains one of the great examples of how quick wit can rescue a live broadcast from total chaos.

Marlon Brando Refuses His Oscar

1973 A year earlier the Oscars had produced a moment that was far more serious and politically charged.

When Marlon Brando won Best Actor for The Godfather he chose not to attend the ceremony. Instead activist Sacheen Littlefeather walked onto the stage to decline the award on his behalf.

Littlefeather explained that Brando was protesting Hollywood’s treatment and portrayal of Native Americans. The audience reaction was mixed. Some people applauded while others loudly booed.

Regardless of opinion, the moment transformed the Oscars from a glamorous awards show into a stage for political protest. It remains one of the most powerful and controversial Oscar moments in the ceremony’s history.

The Selfie That Broke Twitter

2014 Not every iconic Oscar moment involves controversy. Sometimes it is simply about perfect timing.

During the 2014 ceremony host Ellen DeGeneres decided to gather a group of celebrities together for a selfie. Suddenly actors started squeezing into the frame.

Bradley Cooper held the phone while Jennifer Lawrence, Brad Pitt and Meryl Streep crowded around.

The resulting photo was slightly chaotic, very human, and instantly shareable. Within minutes it became the most retweeted image in the world at the time.

It was a perfect example of Hollywood colliding with the social media era in real time.

That unpredictability is part of what keeps the Oscars compelling year after year. Yes, the awards themselves matter, but the magic of live television means anything can happen once the cameras are rolling.

With the Oscars returning Sunday night , there is always the possibility that the next unforgettable moment is just waiting to happen. And if it does, you can be sure people will be talking about it everywhere great recommendations are shared. Including on Recce.