Yahoo News Oscars Best Picture disaster was actually predicted
It will go down as one of the most shocking moments in Oscars history, but was the Best Picture disaster actually predicted just days before?
The Huffington Post interviewed the PwC accountants responsible for the envelopes in the build-up to the biggest movies event of the year - and asked what would happen if the wrong winner was read out.
Brian Cullinan and Martha Ruiz - the partners responsible for tallying up the ballots and ensuring the right envelopes were handed to the right people - both said that any possibility of a mix-up was incredibly slim.
[Left: Martha Ruiz and Brian Cullinan. Right: Moonlight celebrates the shock Oscar win.]
"We're very confident they're getting the right envelopes and the contents in them are accurate," said Martha.
Brian - talking about what would happen if such a catastrophe ever occurred - added: "We would make sure that the correct person was known very quickly.
"Whether that entails stopping the show, us walking on stage, us signalling to the stage manager - that's really a game-time decision, if something like that were to happen.
"[But] it's so unlikely."
Against all odds, a mix-up did happen as La La Land was incorrectly announced as the Best Picture winner, after Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway were handed the Best Actress envelope (which said "Emma Stone, La La Land") instead.
But it wasn't resolved immediately. Two and a half minutes went by - during which the producers of La La Land gave their acceptance speeches with everybody celebrating on the stage - before the stage manager managed to clarify the true winner, which was Moonlight.
Eek.
PwC released a statement apologising for the confusion after the Oscars mix-up happened live on air.
"We sincerely apologise to Moonlight, La La Land, Warren Beatty, Faye Dunaway and Oscar viewers for the error that was made during the award announcement for Best Picture," it said.
"The presenters had mistakenly been given the wrong category envelope and when discovered, was immediately corrected. We are currently investigating how this could have happened, and deeply regret that this occurred.
"We appreciate the grace with which the nominees, the Academy, ABC and Jimmy Kimmel handled the situation."
[Best Picture presenters Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty.]
And an Academy statement said: "PwC has taken full responsibility for the breaches of established protocols that took place during the ceremony.
"We have spent last night and today investigating the circumstances, and will determine what actions are appropriate going forward."
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