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Most memorable moments in awards show history

From pregnancy announcements and kisses to streakers, these are some of the moments now seared into our collective memory.

HOUSTON — It's safe to say this year’s Oscars ceremony was memorable for some great reasons – like Houston natives Beyonce and Megan Thee Stallion performing and Lady Gaga’s sweet exchange with Liza Minnelli, and CODA’s big wins – and a very not great reason.

Awards shows have given us a number of interesting moments over the years, so we decided to take a look back.

Let’s start in 1973, the year best actor winner Marlon Brando declined the Academy Award and sent Sacheen Littlefeather in his stead as a protest of Hollywood’s treatment of Native Americans.

The next year, a streaker dashed across the Oscars stage as cohost Elizabeth Taylor was being introduced.

Fast forward to 1989 and one of the most cringeworthy moments in Academy Awards history, which involved Rob Lowe and Snow White singing the opening number.

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Not all memorable moments happen at the Oscars. In 1993, Jimmy V delivered his unforgettable "Don't Give Up, Don't Ever Give Up" speech at the ESPYs. He passed away from cancer just a few months later.

The MTV Video Music Awards also seared some memories into our brain, including that 1994 kiss between Michael Jackson and then-wife Lisa Marie Presley. Then in 2002, Britney Spears called Jackson the artist of the millennium, which he thought was an award he was receiving. Awards producers just wanted to recognize him since it was his birthday.

That was 20 years ago, but the last two decades have provided plenty for us to talk about as well. There was Adrian Brody kissing Halle Berry after his 2003 Academy Award win for Best Actor and Faith Hill’s reaction to losing to Carrie Underwood at the 2006 Country Music Awards. (She insists she was just joking.)

Then there’s Kanye West’s infamous interruption of Taylor Swift during her VMA acceptance speech. That happened in 2009.

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Beyoncé, whom West said should have won that night, used her VMA performance to announce her pregnancy in 2011.

A couple odd trips up on stage to note: Jennifer Lawrence fell on her way up the stairs at the 2013 Academy Awards and in 2015, Jon Hamm crawled up to accept his Emmy.

That approach was creative, just like John Travolta’s pronunciation of Idina Menzel’s name at the 2014 Oscars: "Adele Dazeem."

Some big social media moments came out of those years too. Academy Awards host Ellen orchestrated the most-liked selfie of 2014 and Chrissy Teigen's tears over husband John Legend winning a Golden Globe in 2015 became a viral GIF and meme.

Despite all that, until Will Smith slapped Chris Rock, the most awkward moment in Oscars history may have been the 2017 mix-up for Best Picture when “La La Land” was mistakenly announced as the winner instead of “Moonlight.”

There are so many unscripted moments at awards shows. And there's another one coming up this weekend -- the Grammy Awards are on KHOU 11 Sunday!

Brandi Smith on social media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

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