Will Smith Is Back in Award Shows After That Oscar Slap

Will Smith is back on the award scene and making news, but for all the right reasons this time. From the Grammys tribute to new projects, here is everything you should know.

Will Smith Is Back in the Spotlight

It’s been a while since Will Smith graced an awards stage, but he just made his big return. The superstar took to the mic in a powerful tribute to music legend Quincy Jones at the 2025 Grammy Awards-marking his first major awards appearance since that unforgettable Oscars moment.

Fans are talking, Hollywood is taking notes, and one thing’s for sure: Will Smith is back and isn’t staying in the shadows anymore.

So, how did he go from golden boy of Hollywood to a controversy magnet, and now back to reclaim his spot? Let’s take a ride through his journey.

From Philly Kid to Global Icon

Before the blockbusters and before the Grammy stage, Will Smith was just a kid from West Philadelphia. Born on September 25, 1968, he grew up in a middle-class home to a mom who administered a school board and a dad who was an engineer that refrigerated.

Musically talented from an early age, by his late teens Smith had created the duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. The group enjoyed a big hit with monster numbers such as Summertime, along with the Grammy-winning single in Parents Just Don’t Understand, before later Hollywood would find him.

In 1990, he scored The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and the rest? Let’s say Smith’s rise was nothing short of the stuff of legends.

Will Smith’s Career: Hits, Awards, and Box Office Smashes

Few stars have dominated music and film quite like Will Smith.

Success in Music

• Grammy for Parents Just Don’t Understand, 1989
• Dropped hits in the form of Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It and Men in Black.
• One of the first rappers to break into Hollywood in style.

Hollywood Takeover

• A sitcom legend with The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
• Starred in massive blockbusters like:
  • Independence Day, 1996
  • Men in Black, 1997
  • Ali, 2001 (Oscar nomination)
  • The Pursuit of Happyness, 2006 (Oscar nomination)
  • King Richard, 2021 (finally Best Actor)

Nothing could stop Will Smith until the 2022 Oscars did.

The Oscar slap heard around the world.

Let’s be real, no one saw it coming.
At the 2022 Academy Awards, Chris Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head, and in a moment that shocked the world, Will Smith walked on stage and slapped him.

It was the slap heard around the world which resulted in a 10-year ban from the Oscars, intense public backlash, and debates.

For quite some time, Will Smith has been keeping low. No interviews, no red carpet, or other high-profile events, nothing. As it is said, time heals everything, and now? He is slowly crawling back to Hollywood.

Now, three years since that highly publicized incident at the Academy Awards in 2022, the industry has been abuzz. Cut to 2025, and in a plot twist, the Hollywood star makes his return to the award circuit at the Grammys. Will Smith is back to the awards scene.

But what does this comeback really mean for Smith’s career? From his emotional tribute to Quincy Jones to the mixed reactions from both fans and critics alike, Smith’s reappearance has set off a firestorm of debate from the Oscar slap to the Grammy stage.

First major public appearance since the incident

Will Smith finally made a highly awaited return to a major award show at the 2025 Grammys on February 2. This was his first since the controversial incident at the 2022 Oscars.

Smith took to the stage to give a touching tribute to the late great Quincy Jones, who died on November 3, 2024, at age 91.
Reception from Industry Peers and Media.

The general reception toward Smith’s comeback was pretty smooth, with the industry and media moving swiftly over controversies that were still left behind to Smith’s very touching tribute. Also, during the event hosted by Trevor Noah, there was a charity on wildfire relief in Los Angeles.

Will Smith’s Comeback: What’s Next?

Well, his appearance at the Grammys was only the beginning. Will Smith is back for real, and with new projects: a new album after almost twenty years, surprise collaborations, including one with Big Sean that has gone viral, and Bad Boys 4 later this year.

After a couple of tough years, it appears Will Smith is writing the next chapter of his life, and Hollywood is ready to watch.

Will Smith is Back: Can Will Smith Win Back Hollywood?

Let’s face it: comebacks aren’t easy. But if anyone can do it, it’s Will Smith.
His appearance at the 2025 Grammys to introduce the tribute to Quincy Jones showed his slow but sure re-emergence into the limelight of the entertainment world.

While Smith’s presence brought mixed reactions, it still goes to show the continued conversation about accountability and forgiveness within the lines of Hollywood. He showed he was indeed moving forward by appearing at the Grammys. New music and films are also on the horizon.

It’s left to be seen exactly which direction his career will take and whether he will ever regain the audience’s total trust and adoration. Everyone will be watching him closely – sure, but a show none the less.

What do you think, guys? Is Will Smith ready to return to Hollywood?

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