Just how did the Best Picture Oscars announcement mix-up even happen?
It turns out that PricewaterhouseCooper, the people behind making sure the results are a closely guarded secret, have taken the blame.
They issued this statement:
We sincerely apologise to “Moonlight,” “La La Land,” Warren Beatty, Faye Dunaway, and Oscar viewers for the error that was made during the award announcement for Best Picture. The presenters had mistakenly been given the wrong category envelope and when discovered, was immediately corrected. We are currently investigating how this could have happened, and deeply regret that this occurred.
We appreciate the grace with which the nominees, the Academy, ABC, and Jimmy Kimmel handled the situation.
—PwC
For anyone who saw the mistake, you could see Warren Beatty frown as he pulled out the card.
By all accounts, both Warren Beatty and Leonard DiCaprio both ended up with the Best Actress cards.
It took over two minutes for the PricewaterhouseCooper people to figure out that the wrong winner had been announced and find the right Best Picture envelope with Moonlight on it.
La La Land producer Jordan Horowitz had the grace to step to the microphone and admit there had been a sincere mistake.
There was some arguing as Warren Beatty held onto the Moonlight Best Picture card, insisting on giving it only to director Barry Jenkins.
Backstage Jenkins made a point of thanking the La La Land team for being “gracious,” while Emma stone praised Moonlight.
At the Governors’ Ball, Moonlight producers Adele Romanski and Jeremy Kleiner and director Barry Jenkins all converged on Horowitz to hug and thank him for being so cool about what was a fraught and disappointing conclusion for La La Land.
“It was chaos,” Horowitz said.