Oops, best picture goes to.... Moonlight

LOS ANGELES — It was Moonlight, not the best-picture frontrunner La La Land, that won the biggest prize at the 89th Academy Awards on Sunday.

La La Land was mistakenly announced as the best movie, when presenter Warren Beatty accidentally proclaimed La La Land the winner.

The show was thrown into confusion as La La Land’s cast and crew flooded the stage, according to Britain’s The Independent.

Producer Jordan Horowitz had even launched into an acceptance speech before he was forced to say that the award had actually gone to director and writer Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight.

Jenkins then took the stage for a bemused acceptance speech.

“Very clearly even in my dreams this couldn’t be true, but to hell with dreams – this is true,” Jenkins said.

Presenter Warren Beatty says he paused so long before the name was read because the envelope read “Emma Stone, La La Land”. Actress Faye Dunaway read the name La La Land after chiding Beatty for taking so long to read the winner. Beatty had been handed the wrong card for the award.

Stone had earlier taken the prize for best actress.

Stone thanked her fellow nominees and co-star Ryan Gosling.

“Ryan Gosling, thank you for making me laugh and always raising the bar and being the best partner on this crazy adventure,” she said.

Moonlight, a coming-of-age drama, also won best adapted screenplay and for best supporting actor, Mahershala Ali, who became the first Muslim to win an Oscar.

Moonlight trumped the musical La La Land, which was nominated for a history-tying 14 Academy Awards. It won a total of six awards, including for best director, Damien Chazelle, as well as best cinematography, best score, best song and best production design.

WINNERS LIST

Best Picture — Moonlight

Best Actor — Casey Affleck (Manchester by the Sea)

Best Actress — Emma Stone (La La Land)

Best Supporting Actor — Mahershala Ali (Moonlight)

Best Supporting Actress — Viola Davis (Fences)

Best Director — Damian Chazelle (La La Land)

Best Cinematography — La La Land

Best Foreign Film — The Salesman (Iran)

Best Animated Film — Zootopia