Top 10 Funniest Award Show Acceptance Speeches
And the award goes to... Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most hilarious acceptance speeches.
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00:00 "No, I just... I don't work out, you know what I mean? I can't hold it that long."
00:06 Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most hilarious acceptance
00:12 speeches. These don't include the Oscars, which deserves its own list.
00:17 "I said some bad things. I feel bad. I was trying to exhibit my independent spirit."
00:24 10. Steve Carell reads his wife's speech - 63rd Golden Globe Awards
00:30 Most award winners prefer to write their own speeches, but Steve Carell isn't your average guy.
00:36 "Wow, I really did not expect this, so I didn't write anything.
00:40 However, my wife did and handed me something."
00:43 The actor revealed that he had his wife Nancy craft the words instead. Starting off normal
00:49 enough, the script quickly turns into one compliment after another directed towards his spouse.
00:55 "I would also like to thank my wife, Nancy,
00:57 for her constant support and for being so beautiful tonight. That's true."
01:04 The writing works even better, with Carell playing off the idea that he's never read the words.
01:10 Along with Nancy's facial expressions,
01:12 the moment has all the underlying humor and tension of a well-written TV episode.
01:17 "Who sometimes wishes that I would let her know when I'm going to be home late,
01:21 so she can schedule her life, which is no less important than mine."
01:24 It's also safe to assume that there's a kernel of truth to his speech
01:29 that makes it that much better.
01:31 9. Emma Thompson's Best Actress Speech - 19th Empire Awards
01:36 Always being herself, Emma Thompson doesn't take award shows too seriously.
01:42 The actress takes this to heart in her Empire Awards speech from 2014.
01:47 "I must just say, you know, when I first read Empire, it was printed on papyrus more or less,
01:53 and I remember going to the awards ceremony years ago, and it was in a pub, I think."
02:00 While she does show appreciation, she also has a bit of fun at the ceremony's expense.
02:05 You could almost call this a roast at a few points.
02:08 "I have a lot of people to thank, but there are none of them here, so I'm not going to bother.
02:14 But my husband is here, and so I'd like to thank him for many things."
02:18 Thompson takes a few funny jabs at Empire and the overall evening itself,
02:24 but never loses her self-effacing style.
02:27 She's even open about her own wardrobe malfunctions and relationship with her husband.
02:32 "And I'd also like to thank him for all the amusing animal noises that he made
02:36 while I had that perm, which became, of course, funnier and funnier as the months wore on."
02:42 The performer glides through the appearance like she's a character in one of her best comedies,
02:47 showing off her ability to adapt to any situation with humor.
02:51 Number 8. Adam Sandler Being Himself. 38th People's Choice Awards.
02:56 While he's not always the critical favorite, Adam Sandler is generally beloved by audiences.
03:02 He uses this acceptance speech at the People's Choice Awards to poke fun at this fact.
03:07 "Making movies that critics all over the planet despise with unreasonable fury,
03:13 but that you, the people, seem to enjoy."
03:19 Along with mentioning his trouble with critics, Sandler also thanks his many
03:24 teachers that set him up for a prosperous future.
03:27 "Miss, one calf is giant and one is normal.
03:29 Third grade would have not been as interesting without you.
03:35 And also my librarian that year, Mrs. Rottenbreath."
03:38 Naturally, the comedian can't help but throw in some funny names and pronunciations for good
03:43 measure. This includes singling out important figures like his shop teacher.
03:48 "I don't know if I'd be standing here today if it wasn't for my shop teacher, Mr. No Fingers.
03:52 Two big thumbs up to you, buddy."
03:55 Showing some love and going for a few jokes,
03:58 the performer proves that he'll say anything for a laugh.
04:02 This is just one of many enjoyable speeches from the actor
04:05 that also includes the time his daughters allegedly wrote one for him.
04:10 "Thank you for giving our daddy, Mr. Adam Sandler,
04:13 this prestigious lifetime, all-time, prime-time, GOAT achievement tribute award."
04:19 Number 7. Hugh Laurie at the 2007 Golden Globes.
04:23 64th Golden Globe Awards.
04:25 No stranger to comedies, Hugh Laurie lightens the mood of this Golden Globe ceremony with
04:31 a few off-the-cuff jokes.
04:33 "Nobody offers you a free acceptance speech.
04:36 There just seems to be a gap in the market. I would love to be able to pull out a speech by
04:42 Dolce & Gabbana."
04:43 He makes a few clever observations about speeches before thanking his collaborators.
04:50 Laurie also throws in some of his trademark wit,
04:53 including some hilarious asides about the entertainment business.
04:57 "My fellow actors on House, and the wonderful writers and producers, and a truly wonderful
05:04 crew. I know everyone says they have a wonderful crew, and logically that can't be the case."
05:07 He has the room in stitches throughout his appearance,
05:10 performing his routine like a well-prepared monologue. It's this kind of unscripted
05:15 charisma and intellect that makes him a perfect fit for shows like House.
05:19 In just a few minutes, Laurie easily steals the spotlight in between moments of humility.
05:25 "They're, they really, I owe them everything. I certainly owe them this.
05:28 I'm not gonna give them this, but I will owe it to them."
05:32 Number 6. Julia Louis-Dreyfus gets a new speech. 64th Primetime Emmy Awards.
05:39 From Seinfeld to Veep, Julia Louis-Dreyfus has been justifiably praised for her work
05:44 in great sitcoms. Her 2012 Emmy win for the latter show also includes a humorous joke
05:51 about acceptance speeches themselves. She begins to read from a piece of paper,
05:56 but realizes that she has the wrong notes.
05:58 "A bit overwhelmed, oh my God. Um, first of all, I would like to thank NBC,
06:04 Parks and Rec, my beautiful boys Archie and Abel, um."
06:09 Amy Poehler quickly remedies this mix-up, making for some funny verbal and physical
06:14 comedy all in one moment. Neither actress takes themselves too seriously,
06:19 and chooses to turn the ceremony into another chance to make people laugh.
06:23 "It's totally fine. Totally fine."
06:26 After recovering from the surprise,
06:29 Louis-Dreyfus sells the bit perfectly as she keeps going like nothing happened.
06:33 "It's a bit mystifying to me because people say that this show is a comedy,
06:39 and yet I don't see anything funny about me being vice president of the United States."
06:44 Number 5. Will Ferrell accepts the Mark Twain Prize.
06:48 Will Ferrell, Mark Twain Prize.
06:51 In a night meant to honor him, Will Ferrell takes the stage and almost
06:55 immediately makes a mistake. The comedian drops his Mark Twain Prize on the ground.
07:00 Grinding the ceremony to a halt, Ferrell plays up the joke with
07:04 some stellar comic acting on his part.
07:06 "As I stare at this magnificent bust of Mark Twain,
07:13 I'm reminded of how humbled I am to receive such an honor and how
07:18 I vow to take very special care of it."
07:21 The actor goes on to jokingly threaten his children,
07:25 and pay homage to Twain with little to no knowledge of him whatsoever.
07:30 Sticking to his signature clueless persona,
07:33 the funny man is able to sneak several jokes into a heartfelt speech.
07:37 "For years I had many questions about this Mark Twain. The first being, who is he?"
07:42 This includes tributes to his heroes and family,
07:45 containing some hilarious references to his fake wives.
07:48 He proves once again that he can bring the funny to any film,
07:52 TV show, or awards presentation.
07:54 "I would like to thank my lovely wife, Vivica.
07:57 Before I do that, however, I should really thank my first and second wives, Donna and Julie."
08:04 Number 4. Jim Carrey wins his second Golden Globe.
08:09 57th Golden Globe Awards.
08:11 Winning a Best Actor award two years in a row,
08:14 Jim Carrey has a lot to celebrate in this acceptance speech.
08:18 He quickly acknowledges the achievement with both humor and gratitude.
08:22 "Thank you again anyway.
08:23 I'm the Tom Hanks of the Golden Globes."
08:31 Comparing himself to Tom Hanks,
08:33 the performer pretends that he's become an elite actor worthy of the awards.
08:38 Anybody familiar with the comedian knows that he loves to go off the rails.
08:42 "I want to thank Jimmy Miller, Eric Gold, Nick Stevens, Debbie Klein, Marlea Leslie.
08:48 I'm gonna forget someone and it's gonna be bad."
08:52 This appearance isn't any different,
08:54 allowing him to dip into voices and energize the ceremony.
08:58 He even fits in some genuine salutes to the cast and crew of Man on the Moon while he's up there.
09:04 Before he leaves the stage, he also finds time to sing show tunes.
09:08 "You can't shoot a man with a gun, with a gun, with a gun.
09:13 I'm going for it, man. Thank you very much. I appreciate it."
09:19 Number 3. Sasha Baron Cohen at the Golden Globes.
09:23 64th Golden Globe Awards.
09:26 Instead of giving a traditional acceptance speech,
09:28 Sasha Baron Cohen decides to talk about the hardships of filming Borat.
09:32 "I saw some dark parts of America, an ugly side of America,
09:38 a side of America that rarely sees the light of day."
09:42 This includes an extended discussion of the fight scene between himself and his co-star,
09:46 Ken Davidian. With hilariously gross details,
09:50 Cohen doesn't hold back as he describes everything with anatomical precision.
09:55 "Saw your two wrinkled golden globes on my chin."
09:58 "I thought to myself, I'd better win a bloody award for this."
10:06 He also mentions the moment where Davidian sat on him,
10:10 bringing together an especially funny anecdote,
10:12 the star does it all like it's been scripted perfectly.
10:16 His use of dramatic pauses also makes the big moments that much funnier.
10:20 Among the raunchiest speeches of its kind,
10:23 this story gets all kinds of celebrities laughing at the Golden Globes.
10:28 "Kenneth, if it was not for that rancid bubble, I would not be here today."
10:34 Number 2. Jennifer Coolidge at the Golden Globes.
10:40 80th Golden Globe Awards. Accepting an award for her role on White Lotus,
10:45 Jennifer Coolidge speaks without a filter at this Golden Globe ceremony.
10:49 Her comic timing couldn't be better as she turns this speech into a trip down memory lane.
10:55 Referencing her past projects, Coolidge doesn't mind mentioning her work in series like American Pie.
11:02 "Five different sequels of American Pie. I milked that to the bone.
11:07 I mean, I'm still going for six or seven, whatever they want, you know?"
11:11 She's so grateful that she even mentions all the hilarious ways her life has been changed
11:16 because of the HBO show.
11:18 "Even if this is the end, because you did kill me off, but it doesn't matter,
11:21 because even if this is the end, you sort of changed my life in a million different ways.
11:26 My neighbors are speaking to me, things like that."
11:28 Really taking in the moment, the actress even gets bleeped a few times.
11:32 It's all done with an effortless charm that really cracks up the crowd.
11:36 By the end of this speech, we kind of want her to be next year's host.
11:40 "Mike, I love you to death. Dave Burnett, I love you.
11:45 I just want to say, um, this is really a fun night. Thank you."
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12:04 Number 1. Robin Williams Helps With Jack Nicholson's Speech
12:10 8th Critics' Choice Awards
12:12 After a tie in the Best Actor category,
12:14 co-winner Jack Nicholson took pity on the loser and decided to invite him on stage.
12:20 "How much money have we raised?"
12:21 This just so happened to be comedian Robin Williams. As fired up as he's ever been,
12:28 the comic wastes no time unleashing impressions and commenting on the night.
12:33 He punches up Nicholson's jokes and even critiques other long-winded statements by the star.
12:39 "Yeah, thanks for nothing.
12:40 It's a tie with three people!"
12:48 The funniest part might be when Williams takes aim at the voters,
12:52 including a few moments where he addresses being the odd man out.
12:56 Completely unscripted, the hilarious nominee turns this ceremony into a stand-up gig.
13:01 "Jack Nicholson and Daniel Day-Lewis for giving me this piece of paper.
13:05 Has their names on it, not mine. And I'm glad to be left out of this incredible group."
13:14 It wasn't the last time either, as he turned a future Golden Globe speech into another classic.
13:21 "I have to thank the Hollywood Foreign Press because, uh, number one,
13:24 you've been so nice over the years. 27 years ago you gave me an award for Mark. It was best
13:28 newcomer. Thank you. And two years later you gave the same award to Pia Zadora. Thank you."
13:33 Did we forget one of your favorite acceptance speeches? Let us know in the comments.
13:38 "I'm just thanking everybody now. It's just like,
13:39 spewing out, 'Dustin, I'd like to thank Stephen!' No, wrong movie! Back up!"
13:45 Do you agree with our picks? Check out this other recent clip from Ms. Mojo,
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13:53 [Music]