With an endless flow of champagne keeping A-listers relaxed, the Golden Globes has cemented its reputation as the awards ceremony most likely to deliver the juiciest water-cooler moments. For one glittering night, Hollywood's elite mingle, celebrate, and honour the past year's finest work in film and television. Yet, beneath the glamorous black-tie surface, the event has repeatedly served up a spectacular array of jaw-dropping spectacles that have left audiences gasping and cringing in equal measure. As the 2026 ceremony prepares to unfold this weekend, we take a definitive look at the most outrageous and unforgettable incidents that have riveted viewers worldwide.
Viral Gossip and Steamy PDA
In 2024, the ceremony was set ablaze not by a winner's speech, but by a courtside gossip session between Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez. Seated alongside Keleigh Sperry, the pair's animated conversation sent the internet into a frenzy, with countless viewers attempting to lip-read the exchange. The consensus was that Selena was regaling her friends with a tale of an awkward encounter with the evening's other headline-making couple, Kylie Jenner and Timothée Chalamet. The moment spawned hundreds of memes and was credited with thrusting the Globes firmly into Generation Z's consciousness.
That same year, Kylie Jenner and Timothée Chalamet made their debut as a couple at the event and proceeded to steal the spotlight with relentless public displays of affection. Their PDA-packed evening quickly became a social media sensation, with one onlooker tweeting, "Having to watch Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner make out every 29 seconds." An insider noted they seemed completely absorbed in each other, ignoring the star-studded room around them.
Controversial Jokes and Cringe-Worthy Monologues
The Globes stage has also been a platform for boundary-pushing and, at times, disastrous comedy. In 2023, host Jerrod Carmichael cracked a highly controversial joke about Scientology. Holding three Golden Globe statuettes that Tom Cruise had returned in protest, Carmichael suggested, "I think maybe we take these three things and exchange them for the safe return of Shelly Miscavige," referring to the wife of Scientology leader David Miscavige, who has not been seen publicly since 2007. The remark drew a sharp intake of breath from the audience.
However, the award for most cringe-inducing monologue likely goes to Jo Koy in 2024. The last-minute host faced a brutally unreceptive crowd, leading him to defensively state, "Yo, I got the gig 10 days ago, you want a perfect monologue? Yo, shut up." A particularly ill-received joke about the physical appearance of the Barbie movie's lead character saw actress Selena Gomez bury her face in her hands in disbelief.
Emotional Speeches and Unforgettable Gaffes
Amid the chaos, there have been moments of genuine, moving emotion. In 2023, Jennifer Coolidge's acceptance speech for The White Lotus moved the show's creator, Mike White, to tears. She spoke candidly about how her dreams had "fizzled out by life" and credited White with giving her "a new beginning," delivering a raw and heartfelt tribute that became an instant classic.
The ceremony's long history is also dotted with legendary gaffes. In 2001, a flustered Elizabeth Taylor prematurely opened the winner's envelope for Best Motion Picture Drama before reading the nominees, prompting host Dick Clark to intervene. That same year, Renée Zellweger was famously in the bathroom when her name was called, forcing Hugh Grant to stall on stage. In 2015, Jeremy Renner faced a social media storm after making a joke about co-presenter Jennifer Lopez's "globes," a comment he later defended as light-hearted fun.
From Jack Nicholson's Valium-fuelled speech in 2003 to Tina Fey and Amy Poehler's risqué introduction of Leonardo DiCaprio in 2014, the Golden Globes has consistently proven that the most memorable moments often happen between the awards. As the 2026 nominees—including films like Frankenstein, Hamnet, and Bugonia—await their fate, the stage is set for another chapter in the ceremony's uniquely unpredictable history.
