The Most Iconic Speeches from Oscar Winners, Ranked (2025)

The 97th Academy Awards is quickly approaching, and although there's been a lot of controversy around the 2025 nominees (ahem, the Emilia Perez scandal and Wicked fans' uproar over Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande not performing), we're still eager to tune in.

The show kicks off on March 2 with Conan O'Brien as host, which is expected to be refreshing after Jimmy Kimmel held the gig for the last two years. But aside from looking forward to O'Brien's comedic relief and the over-the-top red carpet styles (because what are the Oscars without a fashion show entrance by the most talented stars in film), we're especially pumped for the winners of the biggest awards of the night, Best Actor and Best Actress, to be revealed.

Historically, the recipients of these awards have delivered the most memorable speeches, probably because they've been rehearsing them since they first discovered their passion for acting. Pinnacle, a well-known sports betting website, did a deep dive into the most popular Oscars speeches from these categories over the past 25 years, reminding us of some of our favorite performances in film.

In coming to these findings, experts at Pinnacle used YouTube to analyze the number of views for each speech collected on February 11, 2025.

Below are the actors/actresses who made the top, including the characters and films that won The Academy's heart.

Leonardo DiCaprio

Leonardo DiCaprio is ranked number one on the list for his 2016 Best Actor win for his portrayal of mountain man Hugh Glass in The Revenant.

The honor was a long time coming for the movie star, who had repeatedly been passed up for the award despite receiving half a dozen nominations.

It's a big reason why DiCaprio's speech, which he used to raise awareness for climate change, has received a whopping 56 million views on YouTube, a massive standing ovation, and happy tears from his Titanic co-star Kate Winslet.

DiCaprio beat out his fellow nominees Bryan Cranston (Trumbo), Matt Damon (The Martian), Michael Fassbender (Steve Jobs), and Eddie Redmayne (The Danish Girl).

Matthew McConaughey

The acceptance speech with the second-highest YouTube views is Matthew McConaughey, who won Best Actor in 2014 for playing Ron Woodroof, a drug-smuggler with AIDS, in Dallas Buyers Club. McConaughey was a shoo-in for taking home the award after winning the Best Actor trophy at the Golden Globes earlier that year for his performance.

An impressive 32,700,000 views of his speech poured in online, and he delivered a thought-provoking and inspirational message more than the typical thank you to the crowd.

Pinnacle highlighted this in a press release with their reasons, explaining why McConaughey's speech remains one of the best.

“Matthew McConaughey's 2014 Oscar speech was as charismatic and unconventional as the man himself. Rather than delivering a standard list of thank-yous, he took a deeply personal and philosophical approach, weaving an inspiring life lesson into his acceptance.”

The statement continued: “His reflections on gratitude, ambition, and self-improvement gave the speech a timeless quality, making it stand out among the usual award show fare. And, of course, he closed in classic McConaughey fashion, leaving the audience with his now-iconic line: ‘Alright, Alright, Alright.'”

McConaughey defeated Christian Bale (American Hustle), Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave), Bruce Dern (Nebraska), and Leonardo DiCaprio (Wolf of Wall Street).

Kate Winslet

Kate Winslet gave her Best Actress honor a deeper meaning upon accepting her Oscar award in 2009 for her role as Hanna Schmitz, an ex-SS prison guard on trial for war crimes, in The Reader. The moment started extra special as the award was presented by former Oscar winners Marion Cotillard, Nicole Kidman, Halle Berry, Shirley MacLaine, and Sophia Loren.

Winslet struggled to hold back tears throughout her speech, which appeared to touch her fans at home as it got 20 million YouTube views. It also made headlines years later when she revealed to the Los Angeles Times that she refused to thank Harvey Weinstein while up on stage.

“That was absolutely deliberate,” Winslet told the outlet. “It was nothing to do with not being grateful. If people aren’t well-behaved, why would I thank him?”

Harvey is a former hotshot film producer, convicted of sexual assault and imprisoned in May 2018. He had worked closely with a slew of A-list stars, including Winslet, and prompted the 2017 MeToo movement.

Also up for the Oscar Award for Best Actress that year were Anne Hathaway (Rachel Getting Married), Melissa Leo (Frozen River), Meryl Streep (Doubt), and Angelina Jolie (Changeling).

Jennifer Lawrence

Jennifer Lawrence's adorableness and relatability have gravitated fans toward her work; at least, that's the case for us when recalling her numerous award-worthy films. One in particular is when she portrayed edgy divorcee Tiffany Maxwell in Silver Linings Playbook, for which she nabbed the Best Actress Oscar award in 2013.

Lawrence was visibly shocked and taken aback upon hearing her name called at the ceremony, so much so that she tripped while heading to the stage to accept her award. Making her even more likable to fans, the Kentucky native acknowledged her blunder in front of the crowd, which Pinnacle suspects is why the video has garnered 16 million views.

“Lawrence's acceptance was already highly anticipated, but her infamous trip on the way to the stage made it even more memorable,” Pinnacle said in a press release.

“Embracing the moment with humor, she quipped, ‘You guys are just standing up because you feel bad that I fell, and that's really embarrassing, but thank you. This is nuts!' Her speech, filled with gratitude and charm, showcased why she remains one of Hollywood's most relatable stars.”

The nominees for Best Actress that year also included Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty), Emmanuelle Riva (Amour), Naomi Watts (The Impossible), and Quvenzhané Wallis (Beasts of the Southern Wild). Lawrence's win made her the second-youngest award recipient in that category at 22 years old.

Joaquin Phoenix

Tying with Lawrence for the fourth most popular Best Actor Academy Award winner is Joaquin Phoenix. Fans are still flocking to YouTube for his heartfelt acceptance speech — 16 million viewers, but who's counting? — after receiving the honor for his performance as a failed comedian turned criminal Arthur Fleck/Joker in the 2020 film Joker.

However, contrary to Lawrence, Pheonix used the platform to advocate for social issues and animal rights, thank those for giving him a “second chance” following his past mistakes on set, and even give a nod to his late brother River with a sweet song lyric.

Pinnacle commented on Phoenix's words: “His raw, impassioned delivery made his speech one of the most impactful in Oscar history, sparking global discussions beyond the film industry.”

Also nominated in the category were Antonio Banderas (Pain and Glory), Leonardo DiCaprio (Once Upon a Time…In Hollywood), Adam Driver (Marriage Story), and Jonathan Price (The Two Popes).

According to Pinnacle, below are other Best Actor/Actress speeches that fans are still raving about today.

Eddie Redmayne

• Rank: #5

• Best Actor Win: 2015

• Character: Stephen Hawking

• Film: The Theory of Everything

• YouTube views: 15 million

Natalie Portman

• Rank: #6

• Best Actress Win: 2011

• Character: Nina Sayers

• Film: Black Swan

• YouTube views: 14 million

Sandra Bullock

• Rank: #6

• Best Actress Win: 2010

• Character: Leigh Anne Tuohy

• Film: The Blind Side

• YouTube views: 14 million

Emma Stone

• Rank: #7

• Best Actress Win: 2017

• Character: Mia Dolan

• Film: La La Land

• YouTube views: 11 million

Rami Malek

• Rank: #7

• Best Actor Win: 2019

• Character: Freddie Mercury

• Film: Bohemian Rhapsody

• YouTube views: 11 million

Russell Crowe

• Rank: #7

• Best Actor Win: 2001

• Character: Maximus Decimus Meridius

• Film: Gladiator

• YouTube views: 11 million

Olivia Colman

• Rank: #8

• Best Actress Win: 2018

• Character: Queen Anne

• Film: The Favourite

• YouTube: 8.8 million

Daniel Day-Lewis

• Rank: 9

• Best Actor Win: 2012

• Character: Abraham Lincoln

• Film: Lincoln

• YouTube: 8.1 million

Brendan Fraser

• Rank: #10

• Best Actor Win: 2022

• Character: Charlie

• Film: The Whale

• YouTube: 7.8 million