Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway accidentally awarded the Best Picture Oscar to "La La Land" instead of "Moonlight," and everyone lost their minds.
The "La La Land" crew was in the middle of speechifying at the end of the awards show, when a commotion broke out on stage as they actually looked at the card in the winner's envelope.
"There's a mistake. 'Moonlight,' you guys won Best Picture. This is not a joke," producer Jordan Horowitz said.
Host Jimmy Kimmel quickly stepped into the middle of the confusion, and compared it to Steve Harvey's gaffe in awarding the Miss Universe title to the wrong contestant in 2015.
"Personally, I blame Steve Harvey for this," Kimmel said.
But it was presenters Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway who announced the wrong winner. Beatty opened the envelope, looked to co-presenter Dunaway, then appeared to struggle with the announcement.
"And the Academy Award…" he said, pausing to glance at the envelope. "…For Best Picture…"
Dunaway urged him on momentarily, then accepted the envelope and read: "La La Land."
A stage hand delivered the news while producer Marc Platt was making the first speech for "La La Land." Producer Fred Berger reluctantly stepped up to the mic next, despite being told already that he had not won, and started thanking his loved ones.
Then Horowitz stepped in and announced the mistake – at which point Berger also acknowledged: "We lost, by the way, but, you know."
Horowitz held up the actually winning card, showing that "Moonlight" had won.
"I'm going to be really proud to hand this to my friends from 'Moonlight,'" Horowitz told Kimmel, after Kimmel suggested he keep the trophy anyway.
It was awkward, and Beatty ultimately threw himself on the grenade, taking full responsibility. "I opened the envelope and it said, Emma Stone, 'La La Land.' That's why I took such a long look at Faye and at you. I wasn't trying to be funny. This is 'Moonlight,' the Best Picture."
Twitter blew up.
It's like a renaissance painting pic.twitter.com/Kzu2dMxRlr
— Britta Lundin (@brittashipsit) February 27, 2017
"Nobody can f*** up an awards show again, right?"-Steve Harvey
— Josh Macuga (@JoshMacuga) February 27, 2017
"Hold my beer." -#Oscars Staff
Many blamed presenters Dunaway and Beatty, who famously starred as bank robbers in "Bonnie and Clyde."
That's what happens when you let a pair of bank robbers give out awards. #Oscars
— John Cribbs (@TheLastMachine) February 27, 2017
There is nothing you will do tomorrow that will be as awkward as the end of the #Oscars.
— Jon Acuff (@JonAcuff) February 27, 2017
Who did the crime: Bonnie or Clyde? Someone on the staff is in trouble... #Oscars pic.twitter.com/rPIn0do5A3
— Mario Lopez (@MarioLopezExtra) February 27, 2017
Lost Lost Land #Oscars
— Pierre Mailhot (@sambapete) February 27, 2017
Producer Jordan Horowitz also received some praise for turning the prize over graciously.
Respect for the guy that REFUSED to let Kimmel make this a joke and firmly damned he would give Moonlight their moment. #Oscars
— Layne (@laynemorgan) February 27, 2017
Meanwhile, many offered their own versions of the soon-to-be-infamous winner card.
— Dave Lozo (@davelozo) February 27, 2017
— Daniel Lin (@DLin71) February 27, 2017
@GailSimone hahaha. pic.twitter.com/DcjTNtiqwd
— Jimmy Palmiotti (@jpalmiotti) February 27, 2017