It was the end of the ceremony. Everyone was tired. La La Land had just been announced 'Best Picture' and after hearty applause, the audience were shuffling in their seats, ready to leave.
And then...
As the film's producers started to reel off their thank yous, there was a sudden commotion behind them. Red envelopes were being passed around with urgent haste. Men with earpieces appeared out of nowhere. The La La Land producer Jordan Horowitz took to the mike.
'There's a mistake,' he said. 'Moonlight won Best Picture'.
There was a cry from the audience. People at home were like: 'Whaaaaat?' A moment of stunned disbelief ensued – because, Jordan had just given his 'thank you' speech, hadn't he? And it was a fairly lengthy one at that. Had he suddenly decided that La La Land didn't deserve to win?
No, that wasn't it.
'This is not a joke,' he continued, 'come on up,' he said, motioning to the Moonlight cast. 'This is not a joke,' he repeated.
Snatching a card out from out of Warren Beatty's hand behind him, Jordan raised it and said: 'Moonlight – Best Picture'.
The camera zoomed in on the [newly opened] card and revealed that, yes, Moonlight was, in fact, the winner.
WE MEAN #AWKWARD. SO VERY VERY #AWKWARD.
Jimmy Kimmel, the Oscar host, swiftly made a joke over the mistake and attempted to claim responsibility. Warren Beatty (who, together with Faye Dunaway, had read out the wrong film) did the opposite. Addressing the audience, he explained he had been given the wrong envelope to start with – the one announcing Emma Stone as the winner of Best Actress (the previous award). He'd merely assumed her film – La La Land – had won Best Film too.
It was basically one gigantic cock-up.
The saddest part, of course, was that it robbed the Moonlight cast of the euphoria of hearing their film's name read out first.
Still, at least this is one Best Picture win no one who watches the cringe-worthy moment will ever – EVER – forget...