Oscars 2024: Al Pacino Shares Why He Didn’t Name All Best Picture Oscar Nominees, Says It To Be 'Producers' Choice'

Renowned Hollywood icon Al Pacino has addressed the unconventional manner in which he presented the Best Picture category at the 2024 Oscars ceremony held at the Dolby Theatre on Sunday. 

Al Pacino has addressed the unconventional manner in which he presented the Best Picture category at the 2024 Oscars ceremony

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New Delhi: Renowned Hollywood icon Al Pacino has addressed the unconventional manner in which he presented the Best Picture category at the 2024 Oscars ceremony held at the Dolby Theatre on Sunday. 

Taking the stage to announce the night's most significant award, the veteran actor surprised viewers by not listing any of the 10 nominees for Best Picture. Instead, he simply opened the envelope and declared Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer" as the winner. 

In a statement released on Monday, the 83-year-old actor sought to provide clarification about his decision not to mention the names of the nominees, which included films such as "American Fiction," "Anatomy of a Fall," "Barbie," "The Holdovers," "Killers of the Flower Moon," "Maestro," "Past Lives," "Poor Things," and "The Zone of Interest." 

“There seems to be some controversy about my not mentioning every film by name last night before announcing the best picture award. 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. I was honoured to be a part of the evening and chose to follow the way they wished for this award to be presented”. 

Acknowledging the significance of being nominated for an Academy Award, Pacino expressed understanding, stating, "I realise being nominated is a huge milestone in one’s life and to not be fully recognized is offensive and hurtful." He added, "I say this as someone who profoundly relates with filmmakers, actors, and producers, so I deeply empathise with those who have been slighted by this oversight and it’s why I felt it necessary to make this statement." 

Oscars producer Molly McNearney also told Variety in a post-Oscars interview that "it was a creative decision" to refrain from having Pacino list all 10 Best Picture nominees before revealing the winner. 

The creative team expressed concerns about the potential length of the show, given that clips from all 10 Best Picture nominees had already been showcased throughout the ceremony.