The 89th Academy Awards is remembered for an unprecedented Best Picture announcement error, with La La Land mistakenly named winner before Moonlight claimed the award.
Key Facts
- Ceremony date
- February 26, 2017
- Venue
- Dolby Theatre, Hollywood
- Best Picture winner
- Moonlight
- Most nominations
- La La Land (14 nominations)
- Most awards won
- La La Land (6 awards)
- US viewership
- 33 million viewers
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences annually selects outstanding cinematic achievements from the prior year. In 2016, films such as Moonlight, La La Land, Hacksaw Ridge, Manchester by the Sea, and Fences were among the most acclaimed releases, earning nominations across the ceremony's 24 competitive categories.
The 89th Academy Awards ceremony took place on February 26, 2017, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and televised on ABC. Moonlight won Best Picture after La La Land was mistakenly announced as the winner. Other major recipients included Emma Stone, Mahershala Ali, Casey Affleck, and Viola Davis for acting honors.
The Best Picture envelope mix-up became one of the most widely discussed moments in Oscars history, prompting AMPAS to review its award-presentation procedures with accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers. Moonlight's historic win as the first LGBTQ-themed and first all-Black-cast film to win Best Picture drew broad cultural commentary.