Oscars 2017: Moana star Auli'i Cravalho hit by flag as she performs at Academy Awards

The star of the Oscar-nominated Moana was hit by a rogue flag as she performed a song from the hit movie during the awards ceremony.

Auli'i Cravalho, who plays the title role in the animated film, sung How Far I'll Go which was shortlisted in the original song category.

The 16-year-old was joined by backing dancers with giant blue flags, one of which swiped the back of her head as she performed at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

She gave an obvious wince during the incident but continued with the song and was praised for ignoring the obvious distraction.

Viewers on social media congratulated the Hawaiian-born star on a "beautiful performance despite being hit by a flag".

Craig Woythaler labelled Cravalho a "queen" for battling through the incident.

Ken Guidry posted: "Turns out Moana's biggest struggle was avoiding getting hit in the face with a giant flag."

Kelly Ruxer said: "Did anyone else see the sweet #Moana star @auliicravalho get smacked in head by that blue flag during her number?"

Another viewer wrote: "Beautiful performance by @auliicravalho even after getting smacked in the face with a flag."

Jenny Floria posted: "@auliicravalho congrats on a beautiful performance at the #Oscars2017 despite being hit by a flag. You kept your composure & sounded great."

Additional reporting by the Press Association