‘Moonlight’ Wins Best Picture Over ‘La La Land’ After Beatty and Dunaway Announce Wrong Winner
In what will go down as one of the most shocking Academy Awards moments in history, Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway erroneously awarded La La Land Moonlight‘s Best Picture Oscar at the 89th Academy Awards ceremony on Sunday.
The entire cast and producing crew of the Damien Chazelle musical were mid-celebration, having already started acceptance speeches and passing around hugs, when one of the “winners” turned to the mic and declared, “We lost, by the way.” Wait, what?
Turns out, Beatty read from the Best Actress card—the award won by La La Land‘s Emma Stone—not the one for Best Picture. Oops.
Still clutching his (former) Oscar, La La Land producer Jordan Horowitz stepped to the mic to inform the rightful winners of the mistake, holding up the Best Picture envelope. “No, there’s a mistake,” Horowitz said. “Moonlight: You guys won Best Picture. This is not a joke.”
Beatty explained the mistake to the stunned crowd, “I opened the envelope and it said Emma Stone, La La land. That’s why I took such a long look at Faye and you; I wasn’t trying to be funny.” Kimmel joked, “Personally I blame Steve Harvey for this.” We don’t think Steve Harvey will ever need to apologize for his Miss Universe gaffe ever again.
WATCH: Moment where crew/cast of ‘La La Land’ realizes a mistake had been made and ‘Moonlight’ actually won Best Picture. #Oscars pic.twitter.com/WCCopwsJ66
— Good Morning America (@GMA) February 27, 2017
Director Barry Jenkins, who won earlier in the night for Best Adapted Screenplay, accepted the award for Moonlight remarking, “Very clearly, even in my dreams, this could not be true. But to hell with dreams. I’m done with it because this is true.”
.@BandryBarry on Best Picture for “Moonlight”: “Even in my dreams this could not be true. But to hell with dreams.” https://t.co/PWdEQd5KwP pic.twitter.com/eEwIkI4ErW
— Good Morning America (@GMA) February 27, 2017
Stone told the press backstage, “I also was holding my best actress in a leading role card that entire time. I don’t mean to start stuff, but whatever story that was, I have that card.” Turns out, the accounting firm provides two envelopes for each winner, Jenkins explained in his press room interview, according to Deadline. “There were two cards…But please write this down, the La La Land crew was so gracious. I can’t imagine being in their position and having to do this.”
The Twitterverse was swift to react to the controversy:
Why are ppl blaming #WarrenBeatty? He stared at the envelope for a while before handing it to Faye, who announced it! #Oscars #AcademyAwards
— Jun M. 💩 (@herroJun) February 27, 2017
The fabulous @JanelleMonae of the BEST PICTURE Moonlight! #notfakenews #Oscars pic.twitter.com/iNBGvxet5z
— Anthony Anderson (@anthonyanderson) February 27, 2017
Putin isn’t even trying anymore, it’s so easy. #BestPicture #Oscars #Oscars2017
— Wheres Julee (@wheresjulee) February 27, 2017
Wow. Somewhere there’s a guy who’s resume features “Handing Out Envelopes” who will be looking for a new job tomorrow. #BestPicture #Oscars
— Eric Lange (@MrEricLange) February 27, 2017
So, to sum up. #Oscars pic.twitter.com/R2FBF6ArMA
— Netflix ANZ (@NetflixANZ) February 27, 2017
