Although award ceremonies appear full of flash and glamour, the reality behind the scenes can be quite different. Not everyone in Hollywood appreciates the pomp and glamour of award events. Indeed, many celebrities have boycotted or refused to attend for a variety of reasons, whether personal or political.
For some celebrities, these events are less about celebration and more about being unfairly juxtaposed against their coworkers. For others, it is an evening in which they are neither represented nor recognized, despite their achievements.
Due to these reasons, some celebrities simply choose to abstain, while others go so far as to conduct a boycott in the hopes of effecting change. Even though award ceremonies continue to air, it's safe to argue that the perspectives of these actors and singers are influencing how audiences see award presentations.
Want to know which celebrities are on the list and their reasons for hating award shows? Scroll down and read all about it!
#1 Spike Lee
Source: Jean-Baptiste Lacroix/AFP via Getty Images
Since helming the iconic 1986 film "She's Gotta Have It," this well-liked director has continued to astound us and has demonstrated that he is not afraid to tackle difficult subjects like poverty and bigotry. Additionally, he is well-known for the movies "BlacKkKlansman," "Malcolm X," and "Do the Right Thing." Despite receiving an honorary Oscar in 2015 for his services to the film industry, he opted not to attend the Oscars the following year because of the lack of diversity in the nominees. Additionally, he described the ceremony as being "white-washed" and publicly urged the heads of television and movies to offer minorities greater opportunities.
#2 Katharine Hepburn
Source: tcm
She has been said to as Hollywood's greatest classic actress. With a record-breaking four Oscar victories for a leading performance, Katherine Hepburn dominated the screen for more than 60 years in outstanding performances. She received awards for "Morning Glory," "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner," "The Lion in Winter," and "On Golden Pond" in 1934, 1968, 1969, and 1982, respectively. Despite eight additional nominations and eight other victories, she only attended one Academy Awards ceremony, and it wasn't even for a year she received a win. Hepburn, who disliked flash and glam, allegedly said: "As for me, rewards are nothing. My labor is my reward."
#3 Kanye West
Source: Jean-Baptiste Lacroix/AFP/Getty Images
Despite constantly drawing criticism for his unprofessional remarks, the rapper has become one of the most successful artists in the world. Kanye has more Grammy awards than any other musician of his generation, and his albums have been included in Rolling Stone's list of the greatest albums of all time. Despite all the support, West has repeatedly criticized the award event when he felt there was an apparent injustice. He has criticized Beck's Record of the Year triumph, his album "Yeezus" having only two nominations, and even threatened to skip the awards ceremony if his friend Frank Ocean didn't receive a nod. Naturally, there was also the
Taylor Swift controversy.
#4 Drake
Source: CNN
Drake rose to fame with the television program "Degrassi: The Next Generation" before making a full-scale assault on the music charts, and he has never looked back since. He is currently among the best-selling artists in the world and has smashed numerous Billboard chart records. There is no disputing the fact that he was ranked among the greatest performers of all time by Billboard. The winner, however, has publicly criticized the Grammys' treatment of hip-hop artists and was so outraged that he didn't even submit his album "More Life" for the 2018 awards event. Even in an acceptance speech for 2019 he couldn't help but criticize the show.
#5 Marlon Brando
Source: denofgeek
Currently, Marlon Brando is still the last man to decline an Oscar. Despite receiving an Oscar for his performance in "On the Waterfront" in 1954 and attending the event to accept it, the renowned actor's perception of the business evolved. When Marlon Brando was given the Oscar award for his portrayal of Vito Corleone in the 1972 film "The Godfather," which is regarded as his best, he declined it because of how Native Americans were treated in the
Entertainment industry. Sacheen Littlefeather, an activist and actress from the Apache nation, was sent in his place by Brando, a decision that has evoked both sympathy and condemnation over the years.
#6 George C. Scott
Source: tcm
George C. Scott, who is still regarded as one of the greatest American actors of his generation, garnered countless honors and was nominated for numerous Oscars. Anatomy of a Murder, The Hustler, and The Hospital were some of the movies for which he received some of his most prominent nods. But Scott's outstanding performance in "Patton" is what ultimately brought him the coveted Best Actor trophy. Scott, however, made history by being the first actor to decline the Award, calling the ceremony "demeaning" to actors and little more than a "two-hour meat parade."
#7 Toby Keith
Source: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images
This country singer, songwriter, and sporadic actor has had his fair share of platinum albums and Top 10 singles. With "Should've Been a Cowboy" from 1993, he even holds the distinction of singing the most-performed country tune of an entire decade. He also tried his hand at acting; he is most known for co-starring with Burt Reynolds in the movie "Broken Bridges." Keith refused to attend the Country Music Awards despite his success for many years, saying that they weren't "his bag." His justification was that the show was "too political" and not "worth his time" because he received 24 nominations in three years but no awards.
#8 Banksy
Source: Exit Through the Gift Shop
Most people are familiar with this anonymous street artist for his use of graffiti to express his opinions on the current social and political atmosphere. Even though Banksy's work is frequently contentious and is effectively vandalism, he has nonetheless inspired a cult following and seen pieces sell for millions of dollars. His Oscar-nominated documentary "Exit Through the Gift Shop" may have been the pinnacle of his career, but despite his request, he was not permitted to attend the ceremony wearing a mask. He has stated in the past that he "doesn't agree with the concept of award ceremonies," and after being rejected, you can be sure that he feels even stronger about this.
#9 Bella Thorne
Source: WireImage
This actress, singer, and director has always known a life in the spotlight; she began as a child model. With smash songs like "Watch Me," she originally became well-known on the
Disney Channel as CeCe Jones in the TV series "Shake It Up." She most recently appeared in the 2018 film "Midnight Sun" as an actor. Thorne has criticized the Teen Choice Awards on Twitter and boycotted the event in 2018 despite her fame and multiple nominations. She has cited the competition between young people, the categories that highlight unimportant characteristics, and Thorne's claim that "the whole thing is rigged anyway" as major turnoffs from the occasion.
#10 Snoop Dogg
Source: fortune
This actor and rap legend, who Dr. Dre first discovered in 1992, has sold more than 30 million records worldwide and even received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Despite being nominated multiple times but never winning the much sought-after Grammy Award, he has won other prizes, including an American Music Award and numerous MTV and Source Awards. This may be the reason he criticized the ceremony in 2015 and 2018 for failing to include rap musicians, even saying that the only viable option was to create a separate hip-hop awards show. Additionally, he has shown his disdain for the Academy Awards in a very vocal manner.