It wouldn’t truly be the Oscars without a memorable on-stage slip-up, right?
This year’s blunder, impossible to miss by anyone tuned in, involved the iconic actor Al Pacino prematurely announcing the winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture, drawing comparisons to the infamous La La Land/Moonlight mix-up of 2016.
When it was his turn to present the award, Al Pacino skipped over the nominees altogether – a significant misstep considering Best Picture is arguably the most prestigious accolade of the night.
Now, if you’re even remotely familiar with awards season in the film industry, you’ll know the standard protocol for presenting awards. The presenter, often a prominent figure in the industry, typically takes the stage and first reads out the nominations for the category in question. This not only reminds viewers of the contenders but also ensures each nominee receives their due recognition.
However, at last night’s 96th Academy Awards, Al Pacino bypassed this crucial part of the process, instead opening the envelope and declaring Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer as the winner of the Best Picture category.
In addition to Best Picture, Oppenheimer secured six additional awards last night, including Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Supporting Actor.
Pacino’s premature announcement sparked a flurry of discussion online, with many unable to resist commenting on the mishap. Most viewed the mistake with a light-hearted perspective.
"And my eyes see #Oppenheimer"
This is going to be iconic!
Al Pacino was such a cutie today♥️#Oscars2024pic.twitter.com/0WpzwdgJBa
— BINGED (@Binged_) March 11, 2024
“Al Pacino giving us a Moonlight/La La Land moment while still reading the correct name. Absolute masterclass,” quipped one observer.
Another remarked, “Whatever just happened with the Best Picture presentation wasn’t quite a La La Land/Moonlight blunder, but Pacino blurting out ‘I see Oppenheimer here!’ was definitely off-script.”
A third humorously added, “If Al Pacino had announced the winner as La La Land, that would’ve been the highlight of the night.”
References to the La La Land incident of 2016 resurfaced, when the award for Best Picture was mistakenly announced as going to La La Land instead of Moonlight, causing confusion mid-acceptance speeches.
According to reports, on that occasion, the presenter had been handed the envelope for Best Actress (won by Emma Stone in La La Land) instead of Best Picture.
Did you tune in to this year’s Academy Awards? If so, what stood out as your favorite moment?