Al Pacino Addresses Oscars Controversy Over Best Picture Presenting Moment

Just when Al Pacino thought he was done with his Oscars controversy, they pull him back in.

The Godfather star caused quite a stir at the 2024 Oscars March 10 when he presented the Best Picture award to Oppenheimer without listing all other nominees first.

Now, the Oscar-winner is now speaking out on the matter, echoing what a source previously told E! News that the presenting style was decided on ahead of time—and not a choice he made in the moment.

"There seems to be some controversy about my not mentioning every film by name last night before announcing the best picture award," the 83-year-old said in a March 11 statement to Variety. "I just want to be clear it was not my intention to omit them, rather a choice by the producers not to have them said again since they were highlighted individually throughout the ceremony."

And regardless of the critiques he received, Pacino was just thrilled to be there.

"I was honored to be a part of the evening," he continued, "and chose to follow the way they wished for this award to be presented."

Typically, the presenter for Best Picture briefly lists the nominees in the category before announcing the winner. Pacino, however, did not, instead telling the audience, "Ten wonderful films were nominated, but only one will take the award for Best Picture—and I have to go to the envelope for that." He then announced the winner, saying, "My eyes see Oppenheimer."

And fans were very much divided on the Academy's choice to go that route.

"Most anti-climatic Best Picture announcement ever," one Oscar watcher wrote on X. "I wanted to see all of the nominees." Another joked Pacino's presentation style was an "Oscar worthy performance in its own right."

But regardless of how it was announced, Oppenheimer was still the big winner of the night, taking home seven awards including Best Actor for Cillian Murphy, Best Supporting Actor for Robert Downey Jr. and Best Director for Christopher Nolan, in addition to Best Picture.

Keep reading to find out who else took home an Academy Award.

American Fiction
Anatomy of a Fall
Barbie
The Holdovers
Killers of the Flower Moon
Maestro
WINNER: Oppenheimer
Past Lives
Poor Things
The Zone of Interest

Annette Bening, NYAD
Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon
Sandra Hüller, Anatomy of a Fall
Carey Mulligan, Maestro
WINNER: Emma Stone, Poor Things

Bradley Cooper, Maestro
Colman Domingo, Rustin
Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers
WINNER: Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer
Jeffrey Wright, American Fiction

Emily Blunt, Oppenheimer
Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple
America Ferrera, Barbie
Jodie Foster, NYAD
WINNER: Da'Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers

Sterling K. Brown, American Fiction
Robert De Niro, Killers of the Flower Moon
WINNER: Robert Downey Jr., Oppenheimer
Ryan Gosling, Barbie
Mark Ruffalo, Poor Things

Anatomy of a Fall, Justine Triet
Killers of the Flower Moon, Martin Scorsese
WINNER: Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan
Poor Things, Yorgos Lanthimos
The Zone of Interest, Jonathan Glazer

WINNER: The Boy and the Heron
Elemental
Nimona
Robot Dreams
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Best International Feature Film

Io Capitano, Italy
Perfect Days, Japan
Society of the Snow, Spain
The Teachers' Lounge, Germany
WINNER: The Zone of Interest, United Kingdom

Bobi Wine: The People's President
The Eternal Memory
Four Daughters
To Kill a Tiger
WINNER: 20 Days in Mariupol

Best Documentary Short Film

The ABCs of Book Banning
The Barber of Little Rock
Island in Between
WINNER: The Last Repair Shop
Nǎi Nai and Wài Pó

The After
Invincible
Knight of Fortune
Red, White and Blue
WINNER: The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar

Letter to a Pig
Ninety-Five Senses
Our Uniform
Pachyderme
WINNER: War Is Over! Inspired by The Music of John & Yoko  

Barbie
Killers of the Flower Moon
Napoleon
Oppenheimer
WINNER: Poor Things

"The Fire Inside," Flamin' Hot
"I'm Just Ken," Barbie
"It Never Went Away," American Symphony
"Wahzhazhe (A Song For My People)," Killers of the Flower Moon
WINNER: "What Was I Made For?," Barbie

American Fiction
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Killers of the Flower Moon
WINNER: Oppenheimer
Poor Things

The Creator
Maestro
Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One
Oppenheimer
WINNER: The Zone of Interest

Golda
Maestro
Oppenheimer
WINNER: Poor Things
Society of the Snow

Barbie
Killers of the Flower Moon
Napoleon
Oppenheimer
WINNER: Poor Things

WINNER: Anatomy of a Fall
The Holdovers
Maestro
May December
Past Lives

WINNER: American Fiction
Barbie
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
The Zone of Interest

The Creator
WINNER: Godzilla Minus One
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Mission Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One
Napoleon

Best Film Editing

Anatomy of a Fall
The Holdovers
Killers of the Flower Moon
WINNER: Oppenheimer
Poor Things

Best Cinematography

El Conde,
Killers of the Flower Moon
Maestro
WINNER: Oppenheimer
Poor Things

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