OMG, How Did Such An Epic Mix-Up Happen At The Oscars?
Just like Steve Harvey's boo-boo at the 2015 Miss Universe, the Academy gave the Best Picture award to the wrong winner. Awkward...!
By Samantha Khor — 27 Feb 2017, 03:46 PM
Wow. Whoever thought this could happen? The 2017 Oscars ceremony was brought to a confusing halt when it emerged that the wrong winner had been announced for Best Picture. 'La La Land' did not win the biggest award of the night... 'Moonlight' did.
Two of 'La La Land's producers had already delivered their acceptance speeches, until Jordan Horowitz - also a producer for the not-Best Picture - broke the news that the real winner of Best Picture is actually 'Moonlight'.
How did such an epic mix-up even happen? Turns out, presenters Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway were given the wrong envelope before they walked onstage!
In the live telecast, Beatty actually hesitated after opening the envelope. Unfortunately, his co-presenter went ahead and announced the wrong winner when he showed it to her.
Can you hear a voice at the end of this clip say "It says Emma Stone"? pic.twitter.com/ayfJGqla6I
— Dave Itzkoff (@ditzkoff) February 27, 2017
Beatty later got back onstage and explained, "I opened the envelope and it said, 'Emma Stone, La La Land.' That's why I took such a long look at Faye and then you. I wasn't trying to be funny."
On the other hand, Emma Stone, winner of the Actress in a Leading Role award, clarified in a post-ceremony interview that she's held onto her winner's envelope after her win
"God, I love Moonlight so much! I’m so excited for Moonlight! And, of course, it was an amazing thing to hear La La Land. I think we all would have loved to win Best Picture," she said.
“But we are so excited for Moonlight. I think it is one of the best films of all time. So I was pretty beside myself. I was also holding my Best Actress in a leading role card that entire time.
“So whatever story - I don’t mean to start stuff - but whatever story that was, I had the card. So, I’m not sure what happened."
There could be a plausible reason as to why there are two copies of the same winner's envelope. In an interview with the Oscars' two balloting leaders, they revealed that each balloting leader holds on to a briefcase with a full set of winners envelopes
"The producers decide what the order of the awards will be. We each have a full set. I have all 24 envelopes in my briefcase; Martha (Ruiz) has all 24 in hers. We stand on opposite sides of the stage, right off-screen, for the entire evening, and we each hand the respective envelope to the presenter. It doesn’t sound very complicated, but you have to make sure you’re giving the presenter the right envelope," Pricewaterhousecoopers' Brian Cullinan explained.
No matter what, a huge congratulations to the cast and crew of 'Moonlight' for snagging the biggest film award of the year and 'La La Land' for bringing home six Oscars! Check out the full list of winners below:
BEST PICTURE: 'Moonlight'
BEST ACTRESS: Emma Stone, 'La La Land'
BEST ACTOR: Casey Affleck, 'Manchester by the Sea'
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Viola Davis, 'Fences'
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Mahershala Ali, 'Moonlight'
BEST DIRECTOR: Damien Chazelle, 'La La Land'
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Barry Jenkins & Tarell Alvin McCraney, 'Moonlight'
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Kenneth Lonergan, 'Manchester by the Sea'
BEST ORIGINAL SONG: 'City of Stars', 'La La Land'
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE: Justin Hurwitz, 'La La Land'
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Linus Sandgren, 'La La Land'
BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT: 'Sing'
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT: 'The White Helmets'
BEST EDITING: John Gilbert, 'Hacksaw Ridge'
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS: 'The Jungle Book'
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN: 'La La Land'
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE: 'Zootopia'
BEST ANIMATED SHORT: 'Piper'
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: 'The Salesman'
BEST SOUND MIXING: 'Hacksaw Ridge'
BEST SOUND EDITING: 'Arrival'
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE: 'O.J.: Made in America'
BEST COSTUME DESIGN: Colleen Atwood, 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them'
BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING: 'Suicide Squad'