PricewaterhouseCoopers has released a statement apologizing for the Best Picture mix-up at Sunday’s Oscars ceremony.
“We sincerely apologize 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 statement from the professional services firm read. “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,” the statement concluded.
On Sunday night, Dunaway announced “La La Land” as Best Picture while onstage with co-presenter Beatty, who seemed to stall as he looked at what turned out to be a card that announced Emma Stone as the winner for the Best Actress category.
While the “La La Land” producers were delivering speeches, it was revealed that “Moonlight” had actually won. Jordan Horowitz, a producer of “La La Land,” ended up delivering the correct news.
Speaking to Access Hollywood’s Natalie Morales on the red carpet at the Governor’s Ball following the Oscars, Horowitz explained what happened.
“There was a stagehand kind of buzzing around. They asked for the envelope I was given when I first walked up there, and when they opened it and it said, Emma Stone, ‘La La Land’ on it. That’s when it was clear that there was a problem. And me and one of the other producers sort of looked at each other, and we sort of knew something was going on,” he said. “And then, the envelope for Best Picture was found, wherever it came from, I don’t know, and it said ‘Moonlight’ on it. And then, I just sort of grabbed it and set the record straight. … It was a real honor to get to — to give the award to those guys because we’ve been on a real journey together since Telluride. … So to be able to bring them up and do that was totally surreal, but it is what it is. It happened and now we can all move forward from it.”
Barry Jenkins, “Moonlight’s” screenplay writer and director, said he was still processing the movie’s Best Picture win, when he spoke with Morales on the Governor’s Ball red carpet.
“[W]hen the switch happened, I just felt so many different things,” the director said. “I think I’m still processing what I was feeling in that moment. But, you know, l’ll say those guys were extremely gracious in handing over and calling us up to the stage, and so much love to them.”
— Jolie Lash