Al Pacino Skips Announcing Oscars' Best Picture Nominees: ‘My Eyes See Oppenheimer’

By Asheea Smith

(Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Al Pacino skipped the small talk last night while presenting Best Picture at the Oscars Sunday.

It's common for presenters to announce all the nominees listed in the category before revealing who will take home the award, instead he took the stage to announce the top prize of the night and went straight for the envelope.

"And the Oscar goes to — here it comes," Pacino, 83, began. "And my eyes see 'Oppenheimer,' " 'The Godfather' star said.

Fellow nominees including 'American Fiction,' 'Anatomy of a Fall,' 'Barbie,' 'The Holdovers,' 'Killers of the Flower Moon,' 'Maestro,' 'Past Lives,' 'Poor Things,' and 'The Zone of Interest' should also have been named during his announcement.

#Oppenheimer wins the award for Best Picture at the 2024 #Oscars pic.twitter.com/0tjARZH4gu
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) March 11, 2024

"Wish Al would have read all of the nominees first. I was looking forward to seeing the sizzle reels, and a bit of tension. #Oscars," an X user responded to a post by The Hollywood Reporter. "I kinda think he forgot," another user responded.

Announcements during the award ceremony are often a film's last opportunity to gain recognition in Hollywood for being nominated in the academy's highest ranking category.

Late Hollywood actress, Elizabeth "Liz" Taylor made a slip similar to Pacino when she was expected to announce Best Motion Picture in the drama category in 2001. Taylor skipped all the nominees, despite the teleprompters' direction to list them.

'Traffic,' 'Erin Brockovich,' 'Billy Elliott,' 'Wonder Boys,' and 'Sunshine' was never announced. She went straight for the envelope and announced the winner, Gladiator.

(Photo: Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

"I'm new at this. I usually like to get [the awards]," Taylor said, defending herself after someone had pointed out the mishap.

'Oppenheimer' received seven Oscars last night, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Supporting Actor. They were also awarded Best Film Editing and Best Cinematography.

Swedish composer and conductor Ludwig Göransson took home an Oscar for Best Original Score. It was the first Oscar win for Murphy, Downey and Nolan, per ABC-7.

'Oppenheimer,' the third highest grossing film of the year, raked in $950,554,020 at the box office worldwide.