Mick Jagger's surprise Oscars speech hailed as 'best moment' of the ceremony
He poked fun at Bob Dylan
Last updated 3rd Mar 2025
The Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger made a surprise appearance at The Oscars ceremony last night (2nd March) to dish out the award for Best Original Song.
Walking on stage at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles to the sounds of The Rolling Stones’ seminal anthem1968 anthem ‘Sympathy for the Devil,’ Sir Mick was greeted with a standing ovation from the star-studded crowd.
"You're so kind, thank you so much," 81-year-oldr Mick told the audience while holding his heart in appreciation. "Thank you so much, everyone. Very kind of you, my goodness."
"I'm very honoured to be invited to give this award for the Best Original Song tonight,” he continued. “As much as I love doing it, I wasn't the first choice to give this award out. The producers really wanted Bob Dylan to do this."
Joking about the two-year age gap between himself and Bob Dylan, Mick went on: "Bob didn't want to do it because he said the best songs this year were obviously in the movie A Complete Unknown (2024 Bob Dylan biopic starring Timothée Chalamet).
“Bob said, 'You should find somebody younger.' I said, 'OK, I'm younger! I'm younger than Bob, I'll do it.' So here I am."
Mick’s speech was met with huge laughs from the audience, and many took to social media to praise the rock legend.
One wrote, ‘Mick Jagger just made my night!’, while another hailed it as the ‘best moment’ of the entire ceremony.
Performed by Zoe Saldaña and Karla Sofía Gascón, ‘El Mal’ from the 2024 French Spanish-language film Emilia Pérez won Best Original Song at the 97th Academy Awards.
Earlier in the evening, Mick walked the red carpet with his 37-year-old girlfriend Melanie Hamrick.
See childhood photos of 25 rock stars, including Mick Jagger:
Rod Stewart
Roderick David Stewart aged 8 in 1953.
Charlie Watts
Charles Robert Watts – Rolling Stones legend Charlie Watts - aged 2 with his mother Lillian and father Charles in Trafalgar Square in 1943.
Sting
Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner – aka Sting – aged 10 at his home in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1961.
Mick Jagger
A school photo of a 9-year-old Mick Jagger in 1951 at Wentworth Junior County Primary School in his home town Dartford
Ronnie Wood
Ronald David Wood (Ronnie Wood) aged 4 in 1951, taken at his home in Whitehorn Avenue, Yiewsley, West London.
Bob Dylan
A childhood photo of Robert Allen Zimmerman – Bob Dylan – aged 2 in 1943.
Iggy Pop
Punk legend James Newell Osterberg Jr. – Iggy Pop – aged 18 months in 1948.
Paul McCartney
Future Beatles icon James Paul McCartney, nowadays known as Paul, aged 8 in Liverpool in 1950.
Janis Joplin
Late-great rock icon Janis Joplin aged 9 in 1952. She died just 18 years later.
David Bowie
A seven-year-old David Jones, soon to be known as David Bowie, in Bromley, London in 1954.
Neil Young
Feted rocker Neil Young as a young boy, aged 11 in 1956.
Jim Morrison
The Doors' Jim Morrison, aged 15, in his high school yearbook photo in 1958.
Bono
A one-year-old Paul David Hewson – future U2 frontman Bono – at his home in Dublin in 1961.
Billy Idol
William Michael Albert Broad – aka Billy Idol – aged 10 in 1965.
Bruce Springsteen
16-year-old Bruce Springsteen in his high school yearbook photo in 1965.
Chrissie Hynde
The Pretenders' Chrissie Hynde aged 17 in her high school yearbook in 1968.
Larry Mullen Jr
U2 drummer Larry Mullen Jr aged 13 in 1974.
Freddie Mercury
An eight-month-old Farrokh Bulsara – future Queen frontman Freddie Mercury – at his home in Zanzibar.
Debbie Harry
Blondie's Debbie Harry aged 17 in her high school yearbook photo in 1962.
Lars Ulrich
Lars Ulrich, the son of Danish tennis player Torben Ulrich, accompanies his father to Wimbledon in June 1966. Lars was two-and-a-half at the time.
Tina Turner
17-year-old Anna Mae Bullock, rock icon Tina Turner, in her high school yearbook photo in 1956.
Jack Black
Tenacious D rocker and acting legend, Jack Black, aged 16 in 1985.
Tom Petty
17-year-old Tom Petty as seen in his 1967 Gainesville High School yearbook photo. © Alamy
Elvis Presley
The King of Rock and Roll himself, Elvis Presley, aged 5 in 1940.
Jimi Hendrix
A three-year-old Johnny Allen Hendrix with his dad Al in late 1945. When he was four in 1946 – a year after the above photo was taken – Johnny was renamed James 'Jimmy' Marshall Hendrix after his dad and Al's late brother Leon Marshall Hendrix.
John Lydon
The Sex Pistols' John Lydon – aka Johnny Rotten – aged 7 in 1964.
Sid Vicious
Simon John Ritchie - aka future Sex Pistols star Sid Vicious - aged 12 in 1969.
Ian Curtis
A five-year-old Ian Curtis in Macclesfield, Cheshire in 1961.
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