It was the most expected win of the night. So when La La Land was announced as the Best Picture at the 89th Academy Awards ceremony, nobody amongst the audience at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California and the millions watching around the world were that much surprised.
Except it was all mistake. Moonlight, a film about a young black man grappling with surviving the poverty and drugs while coming to terms with his own sexuality, actually won the award.
The presenters of the award, Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty, had announced La La Land as the winners of the biggest award of the night.
Watch the moment #LaLaLand‘s filmmakers realized there was a mistake. #Oscars pic.twitter.com/mXQt6lv2aX
— Variety (@Variety) February 27, 2017
Only for Warren to explain, after cast and crew of the musical comedy starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, had rushed to the stage, that he had actually been given the wrong envelope. He was given the envelope that revealed that Emma Stone had won Best Actress for La La Land.
Other nominees in the category were Arrival, Fences, Hacksaw Ridge, Hell or High Water, Hidden Figures, Hell or High Water, Lion, Manchester by the Sea.
The mix up immediately echoed the similar situation at the 2015 Miss Universe contest, when American comedian, Steve Harvey announced the wrong winner for the pageant.
It happens to the best of us.