The best picture Oscar was won by Moonlight after La La Land was mistakenly announced as the winner.

The producers of the musical were concluding their speeches when it was announced that Moonlight was in fact the winner of the top prize of the night.

Oscars
(ABC)

Bonnie and Clyde stars Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway announced La La Land had taken the best picture prize until the film’s producer Fred Berger said: “This is not a joke. Moonlight is best picture,” and showed the camera the card that revealed the winner.

Warren returned to the microphone to say: “I want to tell you what happened I opened the envelope and it said Emma Stone, La La Land and that is why I took such a long look at Faye and at you.

“I wasn’t trying to be funny. This is Moonlight for best picture.”

Mahershala Ali
Mahershala Ali (Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)

The film’s director Barry Jenkins said: “Very clearly even in my dreams this can’t be true. But to hell with it because this is true. It’s true, it’s not fake.”

Paying tribute to the team behind La La Land, he said: “We have been on the road with these guys and it was so gracious and so generous of them.”

Producer Dede Gardner added: “I’m still not sure this is real. It’s very humbling to be up here and I hope it’s inspiring to little black boys and brown girls who feel marginalised. I hope they take some inspiration from seeing his beautiful group of artists.”

Chaos and confusion took over the stage as the casts of both films handed Oscars back and forth.

Two La La Land producers had already given their acceptance speeches before the mistake was revealed.

Host Jimmy Kimmel joked that he knew he would mess up compering the ceremony.

He added: “Personally I blame Steve Harvey for this,” referring to Harvey’s mistake in announcing the Miss Universe winner in 2015.