![](\"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/89th_Academy_Awards_-_Show_41866.jpg\")
<\/a>Associated Press<\/p><\/div>\n
by Anita Busch and Pete Hammond
\nDEADLINE<\/p>\n
UPDATE with more details:<\/strong> A24\u2019s Moonlight<\/a> <\/em>won the Best Picture Oscar tonight after an epic mix-up on the stage in which presenter Faye Dunaway, onstage with Warren Beatty, read what turned out to be the wrong winner. She originally announced that Lionsgate\u2019s\u00a0La La Land<\/a> <\/em>won, to walk away with its seventh win of the night from its\u00a0record-tying 14 nominations, and La La Land<\/em>\u2018s producers even gave acceptance speeches before the mistake was discovered, and chaos ensued for the last and most marquee category of the night as reality set in that the wrong film was announced.<\/p>\n At one point both films\u2019 teams were on the stage as\u00a0it slowly dawned on the audience at the Dolby Theatre that the switcheroo was no joke. Immediately after the show ended, even Academy officials were unclear about what had happened.<\/p>\n It was a major upset for the top award of the night. Moonlight<\/em> had gathered two awards \u2014 Best Supporting Actor for Mahershala Ali and Adapted Screenplay for writer-director Barry Jenkins<\/a> based on Tarell Alvin McCraney\u2019s story. Then the indie stepped aside while La La Land<\/em> racked up six wins, including Best Director for Damien Chazelle and Best Actress for Emma Stone.<\/p>\n \u201cI saw two cards. Things just happen. I wanted to see the card, and Warren [Beatty] refused to show the card to anybody before he showed it to me. And he did\u2014he showed the card,\u201d Jenkins said backstage. \u201cI felt better about what had happened. I will say, the folks from La La Land <\/i>were so gracious. I can\u2019t imagine being in their position and having to do that. I was speechless because it was so gracious of them to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMoonlight\u201d director Barry Jenkins, left, and \u201cLa La Land\u201d producer Jordan Horowitz at the Governors Ball. Pete Hammond\/Deadline<\/p><\/div> How could the epic mix-up have happened? This is the thinking: Per Academy rules, accountant PricewaterhouseCoopers has two envelopes (two copies) in its charge for every winner. So when they handed the envelope to Dunaway and Beatty, they were given a second\u00a0one for previous winner Emma Stone for Best Actress rather than the envelope for Best Picture. That\u2019s why Beatty said onstage by way of explaining the mistake he handed the envelope to Dunaway because he was wondering what was going on. Identical suitcases are posted at either side of the Dolby stage in case presenters enter the stage from opposite sides.<\/p>\n It was La La Land<\/em> producer Jordan Horowitz, in the middle of his acceptance speech, who said, \u201cThe winner is Moonlight,\u201d <\/em>to everyone\u2019s surprise. There were audible gasps in the audience and also backstage. After massive confusion, the Moonlight <\/em>filmmakers came to the stage. \u201cTo hell with dreams because this is true,\u201d said an astonished Jenkins. \u201cMy love to La La Land<\/em>, my love to everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n Horowitz said at the post-show Governors Ball that a stage hand ran onstage to give him the real Best Picture envelope, and he then saw Beatty was holding a Best Actress envelope. ABC\u2019s ABC News and others have been sharing a blown up photo of the envelope in Beatty\u2019s hand during the presentation:<\/p>\n Envelope in Warren Beatty\u2019s hands read \u201cACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE\u201d when announcing Best Picture. https:\/\/t.co\/naq6LCfSrE<\/a> #Oscars<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/YmXWXcudfu<\/a><\/p>\n — ABC News (@ABC) February 27, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/a>\n