It was one of the most awkward moments in the history of the Oscars, of television, in entertainment, heck maybe in American history.
And somehow Warren Beatty, Hollywood含羞草研究社檚 ultimate smooth leading man, was at the centre of it.
The producers of 含羞草研究社淟a La Land含羞草研究社� were nearly done with their acceptance speeches for Best Picture, the Oscar broadcast含羞草研究社檚 credits sequence about to roll, when a stir of whispers began on stage. Moments later 含羞草研究社淟a La Land含羞草研究社� producer Jordan Horowitz returned to the microphone and said 含羞草研究社淢oonlight won Best Picture含羞草研究社� and insisting that 含羞草研究社渢his is not a joke.含羞草研究社�
The collective jaw of the crowd at the Dolby Theatre 含羞草研究社� and of America 含羞草研究社� remained dropped long after they became convinced it was no joke, but what academy historians later called an apparently unprecedented Oscar error.
Beatty returned to the mic and amid silence, explained that he had opened the envelope and he was confused when it read 含羞草研究社淓mma Stone, La La Land.含羞草研究社� He had shown it to co-presenter Faye Dunaway briefly, as though he wanted her to read it, which she did, apparently assuming the Emma Stone part was off but the 含羞草研究社淟a La含羞草研究社� part correct.
含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 one of the strangest things that含羞草研究社檚 ever happened to me,含羞草研究社� Beatty said backstage. 含羞草研究社淭hank God there were two of us up there,含羞草研究社� Dunaway responded.
The actress then asked Beatty, 含羞草研究社淲ho else should I tell?含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淓verybody,含羞草研究社� he said.
At that point, a security guard tried to take the real envelope and Beatty said, 含羞草研究社淪ecurity is not getting this. I含羞草研究社檓 giving it to (Moonlight director) Barry Jenkins at a later time.含羞草研究社� Beatty also refused to show it to anyone else.
ABC News, tweeting about the ceremony broadcast on its network, said the envelope held by Beatty read, 含羞草研究社淎ctress in a leading role.含羞草研究社� A close-up photo of Beatty onstage verified that.
The mistake was being investigated by the academy, which had no immediate comment Sunday.
PwC, formerly known as Price Waterhouse Coopers, is the accounting firm that counts votes and provides winner envelopes for the Oscars and has done so for more than 80 years.
When the firm含羞草研究社檚 representatives realized the mistake, they raced onstage to right it, but too late, officials told The Associated Press.
The result was a bizarre scene with the entire cast of both movies standing together on stage exchanging sympathetic awkward stares and hugs.
The crowd had to rouse itself from its stunned stupor to try to give 含羞草研究社淢oonlight含羞草研究社� its just due for winning the big award. And as the credits rolled, usually bringing sweet relief after a long night, people appeared hesitant to leave in their disbelief.
含羞草研究社淚t made a very special feeling even more special, but not in the way I expected,含羞草研究社� a bemused Jenkins, co-writer and director of 含羞草研究社淢oonlight,含羞草研究社� said backstage.
含羞草研究社淭he folks at 含羞草研究社楲a La Land含羞草研究社� were so gracious,含羞草研究社� he added. 含羞草研究社淚 can含羞草研究社檛 imagine being in their position and having to do that.含羞草研究社�
Filmmaker Kenneth Lonergan, who won a best screenplay award for 含羞草研究社淢anchester by the Sea,含羞草研究社� cracked wise backstage: 含羞草研究社淚t turns out that we actually won best picture, which we含羞草研究社檙e really happy about,含羞草研究社� he said.
The ceremony含羞草研究社檚 chaotic scene immediately raced to the top of all-time Oscar moments, far more stunning than the nude man who raced across the stage in 1974 as part of the 含羞草研究社渟treaking含羞草研究社� fad.
And it immediately evoked Steve Harvey含羞草研究社檚 recent gaffe of naming the wrong Miss Universe winner.
The Miss Universe Twitter account quickly let the Oscars know they felt their pain.
含羞草研究社淗ave your people call our people, we know what to do,含羞草研究社� the tweet read.
That was the beginning of a Tweet pile-on that may be the biggest of all time, with many declaring that 含羞草研究社淟a La Land含羞草研究社� won the popular vote while 含羞草研究社淢oonlight含羞草研究社� won the electoral college.
But this stage, and this audience, were far, far bigger and are likely to last far, far longer in collective memory.
含羞草研究社榃e thought it was a joke含羞草研究社�: Canadian winner for Arrival
Montreal sound editor Sylvain Bellemare has an epic memory to accompany his Oscar win for 含羞草研究社淎rrival.含羞草研究社�
The Canadian was still in the Dolby Theatre on Sunday night as Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway wrongly announced 含羞草研究社淟a La Land含羞草研究社� as best picture. Bellemare said it was 含羞草研究社渁ll very embarrassing含羞草研究社� as producers scrambled on stage to reveal that 含羞草研究社淢oonlight含羞草研究社� was the true winner.
含羞草研究社淚t was astonishing for like 15, 20 seconds. I think we thought it was a joke and no, it was real,含羞草研究社� Bellemare said by phone from Los Angeles after the show had ended.
含羞草研究社淏ut yet people were really happy I think because 含羞草研究社楳oonlight含羞草研究社� is a fantastic film that deserves so much,含羞草研究社� he added.
含羞草研究社満卟菅芯可鐦La La Land含羞草研究社� is a great film, too, but it already has a lot of love and box office since it started and having 含羞草研究社楳oonlight含羞草研究社� triumph, it含羞草研究社檚 perfect.含羞草研究社�
The accounting firm PwC, which oversees the counting of the Oscar ballots, said early Monday that Beatty and Dunaway had been given the wrong envelope.
Bellemare said 含羞草研究社渁t the end, things went as they were supposed to be.
含羞草研究社淚t was a weird feeling含羞草研究社�. It was something awkward but those things happen and at the end, at least we got the real winner onstage.含羞草研究社�
Bellemare won the Oscar for best sound editor in a field that also included teams from 含羞草研究社淒eepwater Horizon,含羞草研究社� 含羞草研究社淗acksaw Ridge,含羞草研究社� 含羞草研究社淟a La Land含羞草研究社� and 含羞草研究社淪ully.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淚 had a good handshake by Ryan Gosling when I went to the stage,含羞草研究社� he said, adding that his thoughts were with 含羞草研究社淎rrival含羞草研究社� director Denis Villeneuve and everyone else who worked on the film.
含羞草研究社淭here are so many people behind this prize. It含羞草研究社檚 a collective prize and I was so proud for them and for us.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淎rrival含羞草研究社� stars Amy Adams as a linguistics expert who tries to communicate with aliens that have landed in 12 pods on Earth.
Jeremy Renner plays theoretical physicist Ian in the Quebec-shot film, which also stars Forest Whitaker as a military leader.
