Warren Beatty Gives Best Picture to La La Land Instead of Moonlight: "I Wasn't Trying to Be Funny"
The 2017 Academy Awards end on an awkward note after one of the biggest mix-ups in history.
Just when you thought this year's Academy Awards ceremony was over, the evening ended with the most shocking moment of the night.
Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway incorrectly presented the award for Best Picture to La La Land. After the team from the movie-musical took to the stage to accept the award — and even began reading their acceptance speeches and giving their thanks — it was soon made clear that there had been a mistake, and the Oscar for Best Picture should have gone to Moonlight. "This is not a joke. Moonlight has won best picture," Jordan Horowitz, one of the producers of La La Land announced as the camera did a close-up on the correct envelope that should have been read.
"This is very unfortunate what happened. Personally, I blame Steve Harvey for this," Oscars host Jimmy Kimmel said, referring to Steve Harvey's epic Miss Universe winner fail in December 2015. "I would like to see you get an Oscar anyway. Why can't we just give out a whole bunch of them?"
Warren then took to the microphone to explain the gaffe. "I want to tell you what happened. I opened the envelope and it said Emma Stone, La La Land," he said. "That's why I took such a long look at Faye and at you. I wasn't trying to be funny."
A stunned Moonlight team then took to the stage to accept the award for Best Picture. "Very clearly, even with my dreams, this could not be true. But to hell with dreams. I'm done with it, because this is true," the film's director Barry Jenkins, who won the award for Best Adapted Screenplay with Tarell Alvin McCraney earlier in the night, said. "And I have to say, and it is true. It's not fake, we've been on the road with these guys, and that was so gracious and generous of them. My love to La La Land. My love to everybody."
The Oscars emcee ended the night with some levity. "Well, I don't know what happened. I blame myself for this. Let's remember, it's just an awards show. We hate to see people disappointed, but the good news is we got to see some extra speeches. We have some great movies. I knew I would screw this show up," Jimmy joked. "I promise I'll never come back."
And of course, Twitter is having a field day with this one. Here are some of the initial reactions.
Check out more memorable Oscars moments through the years, below.
