5 Celebrities Who Were Banned or Disinvited from Awards Shows

From onstage scandals to industry feuds, these stars were banned or disinvited from awards shows

Awards shows are meant to celebrate the biggest achievements in entertainment, but they’ve also become a stage for some of Hollywood’s most memorable controversies.

From shocking onstage moments to behind-the-scenes conflicts with industry organizations, several celebrities have found themselves at odds with the very institutions meant to honor them. In some cases, the fallout has led to formal bans from major award ceremonies, including the Oscars, the Grammys and more.

The penalties vary, too. Some stars were temporarily barred from attending ceremonies after violating conduct policies, while others faced longer exclusions tied to public scandals or disputes with the organizations themselves.

In 2022, Will Smith was prohibited from attending the Academy Awards for 10 years after slapping comedian Chris Rock onstage during the ceremony. But Smith is far from the only celebrity who has faced consequences tied to awards show drama.

From Richard Gere’s political remarks at the Oscars to Morgan Wallen’s controversy costing him invites to multiple events, here are celebrities who have been banned from major awards shows, along with the moments that led to their exclusion.

01 of 05

Bill Cosby

Bill Cosby was expelled from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2018 following his sexual assault conviction.

In April of that year, the comedian was found guilty of drugging and sexually assaulting former Temple University employee Andrea Constand in 2004. Cosby was sentenced to three to 10 years in prison.

Less than a month after the conviction, the Academy’s Board of Governors voted to remove him from its membership. In a statement announcing the decision, the organization said the move was made in accordance with its Standards of Conduct.

“The Board continues to encourage ethical standards that require members to uphold the Academy’s values of respect for human dignity," the statement said, in part.

The expulsion meant Cosby was no longer a member of the group responsible for the Academy Awards and was barred from participating in its activities.

Cosby’s conviction was later overturned in June 2021 when the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that a previous agreement with prosecutors had been violated. The decision led to his release from prison after nearly three years, though the Academy has not reinstated his membership.

02 of 05

Harvey Weinstein

Harvey Weinstein was expelled from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2017 after multiple allegations of sexual assault and misconduct surfaced.

The accusations first became public in October 2017 through investigative reports published by The New York Times and The New Yorker, becoming revelations that helped ignite the global #MeToo movement.

Shortly after the stories were published, the Academy’s Board of Governors addressed the situation. In a statement announcing its decision, the organization said members had voted “well in excess of the required two-thirds majority” to remove Weinstein from the group.

“We do so not simply to separate ourselves from someone who does not merit the respect of his colleagues but also to send a message that the era of willful ignorance and shameful complicity in sexually predatory behavior and workplace harassment in our industry is over,” the statement continued.

The Academy also condemned the alleged behavior in strong terms, calling it “repugnant, abhorrent, and antithetical to the high standards of the Academy and the creative community it represents.”

In 2020, Weinstein was convicted of rape and sexual assault in New York and sentenced to 23 years in prison. Three years later, he received an additional 16-year sentence in Los Angeles after being found guilty of similar charges.

In 2024, a New York appeals court overturned Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction after his legal team argued he didn’t receive a fair trial. He is still serving prison time in Los Angeles for those charges.

A year later, in June 2025, he was convicted of one count of criminal sexual act, which he sought to appeal, but was denied in January 2026.

03 of 05

Kanye West

Kanye West has had a long and complicated relationship with awards shows. One of the most notable instances took place ahead of the Grammy Awards in 2022, when he was reportedly removed from the performance lineup.

At the time, West had received multiple Grammy nominations for his album Donda. However, organizers decided he would not perform during the ceremony following a series of controversial social media posts in the weeks leading up to the event. Among them were remarks directed at comedian Trevor Noah, who was hosting the ceremony that year.

04 of 05

Morgan Wallen

Wallen was barred from attending several major country music awards shows in 2021 after a video surfaced showing him using a racial slur.

The clip, which circulated online in February of that year, prompted backlash across the music industry. In response, organizations including the Academy of Country Music Awards and the Country Music Association Awards took action against the singer.

The Country Music Association announced that Wallen would not be permitted to attend or perform at that year’s ceremony, even though he had received nominations.

“To my knowledge, this is the first time in CMA history anyone has ever been disqualified for conduct,” CMA CEO Sarah Trahern said at the time, per the Los Angeles Times, adding that Wallen would not be allowed “on the red carpet, on our stage, or be celebrated in any way.”

The fallout extended beyond awards shows. Radio stations temporarily pulled Wallen’s music from their playlists, and his record label suspended him shortly after the video surfaced.

Although the bans were limited to the 2021 awards season, Wallen later returned to eligibility at major country music ceremonies as the controversy gradually subsided. He previously told PEOPLE he was "embarrassed and sorry" for his transgression, and that "there are no excuses to use this type of language, ever."

05 of 05

Will Smith

Smith received one of the most high-profile bans in Oscars history following a shocking moment at the Academy Awards in 2022.

During the live broadcast, Rock took the stage to present the award for Best Documentary. While addressing the crowd, Rock joked about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, referencing her shaved head by saying, “Jada, I love ya. G.I. Jane 2, can’t wait to see ya.”

Moments later, Smith walked onstage and slapped Rock across the face, a moment that stunned both the audience and went viral instantly. After returning to his seat, Smith shouted for Rock to “keep my wife’s name out your f—ing mouth,” creating one of the most talked-about incidents in the ceremony’s history.

The Academy’s board of governors later reviewed the incident and announced disciplinary action. In April 2022, the organization revealed that Smith would be barred from attending any Academy events or programs, including the Oscars, for 10 years.

In a letter obtained by PEOPLE, Academy president David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson acknowledged the organization’s response during the broadcast had fallen short. They wrote that the decision was meant to help protect guests and performers and restore trust in the institution.

Smith later issued a statement saying he accepted the ruling, writing, “I accept and respect the Academy’s decision.”

Read the full article here