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In a WTF moment to top all WTF moments, La La Land was mistakenly announced as having won Best Picture at the 89th Annual Academy Awards, but the honor actually belonged to Moonlight. The mix-up (to say the least) briefly plunged the ceremony into chaos, with people standing on the stage assuring the viewers at home that this wasn't a joke.
While presenting the award actor Warren Beatty paused for an inordinately long time over the words. He seemed to be doing something of a bit, playing off the fact that this was the category everyone was waiting for... but he was in fact confused, because the envelope in his hands read "Emma Stone, 'La La Land'" (Stone had just won the Best Actress category). Faye Dunaway eventually got annoyed with his slow delivery and announced the winner as La La Land. If you replay the video, you can hear Warren Beatty saying, “But it says Emma Stone."
#Oscars shocker: Warren Beatty reads the wrong Best Picture winner, 'La La Land' didn't win — 'Moonlight' did. pic.twitter.com/iB6TLxyTn5
— Hollywood Reporter (@THR) February 27, 2017
After the film's title was read, the La La Land cast and filmmakers took the stage and began their acceptance speeches, as one does when they've just been announced as Best Picture winners.
The unfortunate duty of announcing the mistake to the world fell on La La Land producer Jordan Horowitz, who was incredibly gracious.
Shoutout to Jordan Horowitz, who had to do this. #Oscars pic.twitter.com/2AKIrMZczP
— Cameron Esposito (@cameronesposito) February 27, 2017
According to the Academy librarians working backstage, this kind of a mix-up has never happened for the Best Picture category before.
And per a savvy Twitter user, it looks like Beatty really did have the wrong envelope:
"Actress in a Leading Role."
— Ryan Lavender (@RealLavender) February 27, 2017
Don't blame #WarrenBeatty #Oscars #BestPicture pic.twitter.com/hpVadk1N9n
The La La Land people handled it amazingly well, especially considering they'd already given their acceptance speeches.
And finally, the real question on all our minds:
OMFG MOONLIGHT ACTUALLY WON AND HILLARY CLINTON IS PRESIDENT! #Oscars
— Travon Free (@Travon) February 27, 2017
Also, M. Night Shyamalan for the win:
I wrote the ending of the academy awards 2017. @jimmykimmel we really got them!
— M. Night Shyamalan (@MNightShyamalan) February 27, 2017
Update [10:00 p.m.]:
Here's a look at what was happening backstage, from USA Today:
Stone wins best actress for La La Land, but the real drama kicks in when La La Land filmmakers take the stage to accept best picture. The accountant from PriceWaterhouseCoopers jumps up and says, "He (presenter Warren Beatty) took the wrong envelope!" and goes running onstage. Craziness breaks out. No one knows how Beatty got a best actress envelope; Stone later tells reporters in the media room that she has been holding her envelope the entire time. "Oh, my God. Moonlight won, Moonlight won," a stagehand says, her hands on her head.
The Moonlight filmmakers pour backstage, with Jenkins holding the Oscar and muttering, "Oh, my God, oh, my God." Everyone looks befuddled.
There are two sets of envelopes #Oscars https://t.co/mWXBNaZnLo pic.twitter.com/k6m7JSnOYV
— Jarett Wieselman (@JarettSays) February 27, 2017
It still remains unclear how Warren Beatty got handed that second envelope, but surely more facts will have arisen by the morning.