PHOTOS/Top 9 Best Oscar Moments of All Time

Jeff Brisges

9. Jeff Bridges Gets Groovy

In what had to be one of the coolest acceptance speeches ever, the Crazy Heart actor declared, "Oh! Thank you, Academy members! Mom and dad, yeah, look! Whoo! Thank you, Mom and Dad, for turning me on to such a groovy profession."

Ben

8. Ben Stiller Lightens Things Up

For the 2010 show, the comic genius sealed his reputation as the best Oscar presenter ever, lightening up the otherwise lackluster makeup category with a visual homage to Avatar.

7. Hobbits Go Mainstream

When Peter Jackson & Co. won the Best Picture Oscar for The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King in 2004, fanboys everywhere cheered. Sci-fi and fantasy films, until that point, had been completely shut out of the category, and we're talking all the way back to The Wizard of Oz, here.

6. Sandra Bullock Gets a Dubious Achievement
The peppy actress won both a Razzie, for All About Steve, and an Oscar, for The Blind Side, in the same year, 2010

5. Martin Scorsese Wins! Finally!
One of the century's finest directors finally, finally got Oscar recognition for his skills via The Departed in 2007.

4. Melissa Leo Loves Kate Winslet
Oops! The Best Supporting Actress winner, for The Fighter, didn't mean to cuss during her 2010 acceptance speech. But at least it was saying something nice: "When I watched Kate [Winslet] two years ago, it looked so f---ing easy!" She later apologized.

3. Woody Allen Makes a Rare Visit
The often-nominated writer-director has attened the Oscars once and only once, and that was in the wake of 9/11. He showed up in 2002 to talk up what a great movie town New York City is.

2. Adrien Brody Steals a Kiss
In 2003, Adrien Brody was so thrilled to win a Best Actor statue for The Pianist that he planted a surprise kiss on presented Halle Berry. He concluded the six-second smooch with the following declaration: "I bet they didn't tell you that was in the gift bag."

1. Heath Ledger Wins Posthumously
After his sudden death, the actor won an Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his work in The Dark Knight. His grieving family accepted the award on his behalf with a touching speech.