Oscars 2017: ‘Moonlight’ Wins Best Picture, ‘La La Land’ Announced By Mistake

Here’s to the ones who dream! – Or not. “La La Land” was announced as the winner of Best Picture to the surprise of absolutely no one. Unfortunately, in a cringing slip-of-the-tongue reminiscent of Steve Harvey, Warren Beatty had to take back his words. In a stunning upset, the true winner of Best Picture was actually “Moonlight,” not Damien Chazelle’s tribute to dreamers and the jazz era.

And the Oscar goes to… pic.twitter.com/i846CnSDAi

— The Academy (@TheAcademy) February 27, 2017

‘La La Land’ Announced By Accident

Only seconds after his unfortunate announcement, a sheepish Beatty had to explain that he had been given the wrong envelope by accident. The envelope read that Emma Stone had won as Best Actress. He saw “La La Land” and announced the film as the winner. To make matters worse, Beatty only realized the mistake after Chazelle and the “La La Land” cast already went on stage.

“Moonlight,” Barry Jenkins’ film about a gay black drug dealer’s journey of manhood and self-discovery, won Best Picture – exceeding everyone’s expectations. The groundbreaking film has been gaining traction at several film festivals, including the Satellite Awards and Spirit Awards. Its win over “La La Land” is unexpected – but no less undeserved. Here’s to “Moonlight!”

Twitter Reacts ‘Moonlight’ Win

The stunning upset of Jenkins’ indie film over Chazelle’s blockbuster favorite “La La Land” threw Twitter into an instant frenzy. Although some lamented “La La Land’s” loss, many took the moment to celebrate the “Moonlight’s” groundbreaking win.

Some tipped their hats to the film’s colossal achievement.

All madness aside, #Moonlight, an acclaimed microbudget drama about a young gay black man, just won Best Picture. That's awesome. #Oscars

— Scott Mendelson (@ScottMendelson) February 27, 2017

Quite a few people shook their heads at the craziness of the Oscars, while also congratulating the film.

I'm mean … I just … that's the craziest thing I've ever been witness to. Huge congrats to Moonlight, which is fantastic. Wow.

— Paul Feig (@paulfeig) February 27, 2017

Even celebrities took to Twitter, overwhelmed by the win. Some, such as Gabrielle Union, were in actual tears over the well-deserved victory.

Yesssss!! #Moonlight cannot be denied… WINNER!! WINNER!!! WINNER!! @BandryBarry & the entire cast and crew CONGRATS! In tears, yes damnit!

— Gabrielle Union (@itsgabrielleu) February 27, 2017

Some tweets celebrated the win as a victory for representation for black boys, girls, and non-conformers.

#Moonlight winning Best Picture is a victory for black boys, girls and non-gender conforming who don’t see themselves on screen. #Oscars ?

— Gilluis Pérez (@Gilluis_Perez) February 27, 2017

In the swirling chaos of controversy, there were also tweets that made a point to give due credit to both “Moonlight” and “La La Land” as incredible films.

Moonlight and La La Land are masterpieces in their own right. Two films can coexist. Don't knock down one to boost the other. #Oscars

— ✨ (@flixls) February 27, 2017

But of course, none celebrated the victory harder than “Moonlight” itself. “All love, all pride!” indeed.

“To hell with dreams. I’m done with it. This is true.” #MOONLIGHT WINS BEST PICTURE! ALL LOVE, ALL PRIDE! #Oscars✨ pic.twitter.com/SIt0M1K0hQ

— MOONLIGHT Movie (@moonlightmov) February 27, 2017