'When I look down at this golden statue, may it remind me and every little child that no matter where you're from, your dreams are valid.'
These were the poignant words spoken by actress Lupita Nyong'o at the 2014 Oscars, when she wore an ethereal blue Prada dress to accept the 'Best Supporting Actress' award for her role as Patsey in 12 Years a Slave.
Accepting her award, the Mexican-Kenyan took the opportunity to acknowledge the enduring suffering of the women portrayed in the film.
'It doesn't escape me for one moment that so much joy in my life is thanks to so much pain in someone else's. And so I want to salute the spirit of Patsey for her guidance,' she added.
Unsurprisingly, there wasn't a single dry eye in the house, such is the enduring power of an inspiring, emotional and eloquent Oscar-winning acceptance speech.
Of course, the famous award ceremony has also seen some seriously disastrous speeches, from the likes of Sally Fields, who incidentally coined the famous phrase, 'You like me, you really like me?', to John Travolta's 'Idina Menzel gaff' when he pronounced her name 'Adele Dazeem'.
In light of Hollywood's most prestigious, famous and glamourous night of the year, we take a look back at our favourite moments from the Academy Awards, since its birth 89 years ago:
1969: Barbra Streisand and Katharine Hepburn both win 'Best Actress'
When you win an Oscar, you don't expect to consider whether you want the bottom or top half of the award.
But, this was the situation Barbra Streisand and Katharine Hepburn found themselves in 1969 when the duo both received 3,030 votes for the roles in Funny Girl and The Lion in the Winter, respectively.
With Hepburn absent from the show, Streisand stole the limelight when she greeted her statuette with the line: 'Hello, Gorgeous'.
2014: Ellen DeGeneres nails the best selfie, ever
Take one camera phone and celebrities including the likes of Brad Pitt, Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, Jared Leto and you have a selfie that will cause 37 million people around the world to cause Twitter to crash.
This was the result of host Ellen DeGeneres' selfie when she invited Hollywood's most famous actors to join her for a picture.
Four-time Academy Award production designer Derek McLane reportedly said of the picture: 'During rehearsal she mentioned that she might do something like that but she didn't rehearse it. It was remarkably clever.'
1985: Sally Field's misquoted acceptance speech
Accepting an Oscar with humility and grace is pretty hard to do when you're buzzing with excitement, adrenalin and are at a loss for words.
So, you can forgive actress Sally Field for accepting her 'Best Actress' award for Places in the Heart by saying the cringeworthy line: 'I can't deny the fact that you like me, right now, you like me.'
Unfortunately for Fields, her phrase has since been misquoted to the phrase, 'You like me, you really like me', which, let's face it, merits a fist in the mouth at its faux modesty.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in 2015, the actress explained she didn't allow herself to indulge in her first Oscar win so didn't hold back when it came to 'owning' her second.
'I just said to myself, 'I'm gonna feel it' ... They had a huge, red, glaring light that started flashing in your face ... so I panicked ... and I remembered the part of me that said, 'You didn't say anything that mattered, you didn't say anything genuine,' she revealed.
2001: Bjoyk wore a swan outfit
They said 'be elegant like a Swan' not 'be a swan', Bjoyk. For crying out loud.
The Icelandic musician wore her animal-inspired dress to the 73rd Academy Awards and at one point on the red carpet, even 'laid' an egg on the floor.
We miss these days.
1972: Charlie Chaplin wins an honorary Oscar
After being politically exiled from the US for alleged communist sympathies for 20 years, Chaplin received a 12-minute standing ovation on accepting the award.
He said: 'Words seem so futile—so feeble. I can only say thank you for the honor of inviting me here. Following the speech, the audience stood to their feet again when Chaplin put on his trademark bowler hat and cane.
Too cool for words.
1995: Samuel L.Jackson doesn't hide his disappointment at Oscar loss
When Martin Landau won his 'Best Supporting Actor Award' for his role in Ed Wood, Samuel L.Jackson reacted like any normal human being would and refused to fake a smile at the career-defining loss.
When Landau was called out as the winner, Jackson was spotted mouthing the word 'sh*t' on camera with a rather glum face.
We feel you, Sam. We feel you.
2005: Jennifer Aniston presents an award in front of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie
No one likes bumping into an ex. So, spare a thought for Jennifer Aniston when, at the 81st Academy Awards, she was asked to present an award in front of her ex-husband of five years and his new girlfriend, Angelina, who were both nominated for awards on the night.
Cue awkward smiles and applause.
1968: Alfred Hitchcock's 'iconic' speech
The term 'iconic' must be used incredibly loosely here as, when Hitchcock received his Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award, he thanked the Academy with two simple words: 'Thank you'.
Blunt but to the point.
2013: Jennifer Lawrence stacks it on the stairs
Be it a graduation, wedding or presentation, everyone has stressed about the thought of falling over on the stairs in front of an audience of prying eyes.
But, give it to Jennifer Lawrence for her self-deprecation after she fell midway up the stairs on her way to accept her 'Best Actress Oscar' for her work in Silver Linings Playbook.
On receiving the award, she said: 'Thank you. You guys are just standing up because you feel bad that I fell and that's really embarrassing but, thank you.'
2014: John Travolta doesn't know how to pronounce Idina Menzel's name
We've all been there.
You're with your friend/partner and spot an old colleague on the street coming towards you to say 'hello' and for a split second, you forget their name.
Well, this is exactly what happened to the Grease star (kind of) when he presented Idina Menzel with her award for 'Best Song' for her Frozen single 'Let It Go' and messed up her name, introducing her as 'Adele Dazeem'.
Also, let's not forget the fact he says she is 'wickedly talented' in a really weird, squeaky voice.
2002: Halle Berry's break down
Winning an Oscar is, I imagine, a pretty emotional moment in life.
So, you can't blame Halle Berry for bursting into tears when she became the first and only black woman to win the 'Best Actress' award in 2002.
But when the actress broke down in tears and started shaking on stage before her speech, it was a pretty awkward state of affairs.
'This moment is so much bigger than me,' she sobbed. 'It's for every nameless, faceless woman of color that now has a chance because this door tonight has been opened.'
2010: Kathryn Bigelow becomes first female to win 'Best Director'
As the fourth woman to be nominated for 'Best Director' in Oscar history, at the 2010 ceremony Kathryn Bigelow became the first female to win the category, beating her ex-husband, James Cameron – who sat behind her – to the coveted gong.
Boom.
2014: Matthew McConaughey thanks himself
When the actor won the 'Best Actor' award for his performance in Dallas Buyers Club, he took the opportunity to thank his fellow nominees, his family and, of course, himself.
In his speech he recalled a time when he was 15-years-old and was asked who his hero was. Struggling to come up with an answer, he reveled: 'I thought about it. You know who it is? It's me in 10 years.'
Ending his speech with a really confusing speech about the past and future Matthew McConaughey, he concluded by saying: 'I'm never gonna be my hero. I'm not gonna attain that. I know I'm not, and that's just fine with me because that keeps me with somebody to keep on chasing.'
Right, Matthew. Gotcha'.
1973: Marlon Brando refuses his Oscar Statuette
For some actors, the opportunity to receive as Oscar is the stuff of dreams. For Brando, it was a chance to snub the Academy in order to make a political statement.
Despite winning the 'Best Actor' award for The Godfather on the night, Brando boycotted the ceremony and, instead, sent a female Native American activist, Sacheen Littlefeather, to the stage to speak for him.
'He very regretfully cannot accept this very generous award,' she said. And the reasons for this being are the treatment of American Indians today by the film industry.
Months later, Brando said he stood by his decision in his interview on The Dick Cavett Show. 'I felt that it was a marvelous opportunity for an Indian to be able to voice his opinion to 85 million people,' he added.
Fair enough.
2001: Julia Roberts warned the conductor not to interrupt her
The Erin Brockovich actress wasn't going to let the famous Oscar orchestra spoil her moment when she accepted her 'Best Actress' award in 2001.
Before her speech, she told the conductor: ' Sir, you're doing a great job, but you're so quick with that stick. So why don't you sit, because I may never be here again.'
That was him told.
1988: Cher put it all on show
Cher isn't one to do things by halves.
And, she stood by this mantra at the 1988 Oscars when she rocked a Bob Mackie creation – two years after wearing Mackie's iconic midriff-baring dress with matching headdress to the ceremony – which included a sheer, spider-web'esque dress when she collected her 'Best Actress' award for her role in Moonstruck.
She later told the reporters backstage: 'Bob and I thought about [this dress] for a while. It went through so many changes. People were so weirded out about this dress, but I think it's quite appropriate for the evening.'
If you've got it...
2016: *That* face from Chrissy Teigen
Despite pulling an awkward face while presenter Sarah Silverman was presenting at the award show, Teigen later pointed out her reaction wasn't in response to Silverman but to former Clueless star Stacey Dash' appearance on stage to wish the audience a 'Happy Black History Month'.
'Our whole area was still talking about it well into the Sarah Silverman segment because we were just so floored by the silence,' Teigen said of the cameo during an interview on Good Morning America.
'You know, I gotta show my face. I can't hold it in,' she added.
And, this is why Teigen was our favourite celebrity of 2016.
Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.
