The 31st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, held on February 23, 2025, delivered one of the most unexpectedly human moments Hollywood has seen in years—and it belonged entirely to Selena Gomez. When Only Murders in the Building stunned the room by winning Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series, Gomez was visibly unprepared for what followed. Her impromptu acceptance speech instantly went viral, leaving the audience laughing, emotional, and momentarily frozen in disbelief.
The Hulu hit had just beaten awards-season juggernauts like The Bear and Abbott Elementary, making the win itself a surprise. But when Gomez realized she was the only principal cast member present to accept the award, the moment turned electric. Cameras caught her mouthing a shocked “What?” before she made her way to the stage at the Shrine Auditorium, hands trembling, eyes wide.
Her opening line set the tone immediately.
“Wait, we never win. This is so weird,” she said, drawing laughter from the crowd. Then came the line that detonated across social media:
“Marty and Steve aren’t here… because they don’t really care.”
The playful jab was directed at her legendary co-stars Steve Martin and Martin Short, neither of whom were able to attend. Short had tested positive for COVID-19 following his appearance at the SNL 50 anniversary special, while Martin was absent due to a prior commitment. The humor landed perfectly—self-aware, affectionate, and utterly unpolished.
But beneath the comedy was genuine emotion. As Gomez steadied herself, her voice softened. “They raised me,” she said simply, thanking Martin and Short not just as co-stars, but as mentors. After four seasons together, Gomez acknowledged how deeply their friendship had grown since the show’s 2021 debut, calling their bond something that has gone “deeper and deeper” with time.
In a moment that further ignited the room, Gomez confirmed that the beloved mystery-comedy would return. “I’m bringing this back to New York for Season 5,” she announced, earning loud applause from an audience that included Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo.
Visually, Gomez embodied a winner’s poise—even if emotionally she felt anything but prepared. She wore a custom navy Celine gown paired with a bold red lip, a look fans quickly dubbed the “Winner’s Glow.”
The celebration didn’t end at the ceremony. In March 2025, Gomez and showrunner John Hoffman surprised Martin and Short on the Season 5 set with the actual SAG Award. A behind-the-scenes video showed Gomez dramatically announcing their win, while Short jokingly collapsed to his knees under the “weight” of the trophy.
For a show long considered awards-season “almost-famous,” the win marked a turning point. And for Selena Gomez—once known primarily for Wizards of Waverly Place—the moment cemented her status as the emotional center of one of television’s most beloved ensembles.
Unscripted, trembling, and honest, her speech wasn’t polished Hollywood perfection. It was something rarer: real.