The 2017 Oscars will be remembered for one of the most awkward moments in the ceremony's history when La La Land was incorrectly named Best Picture instead of the true winner, Moonlight. The mix-up occurred during the final award, leaving the audience and presenters in shock.
Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway were tasked with announcing the winner. However, Beatty was handed the envelope for Best Actress, which had already been awarded to Emma Stone for La La Land. Noticing the discrepancy, he hesitated and showed the card to Dunaway, who read out the only film title visible: La La Land.
The La La Land production team took to the stage to accept the award. However, it quickly became evident to them and the organisers that a mistake had been made. Producer Fred Berger stated, "We lost," while Jordan Horowitz held up the correct card, confirming Moonlight as the actual winner.
PricewaterhouseCoopers, the firm responsible for overseeing the Oscar votes, apologised for the error and promised an investigation. Horowitz handed the Oscar to Moonlight's director, Barry Jenkins, who expressed his disbelief, saying, "Even in my dreams this could not be true."
