While not as dramatic as the infamous La La Land incident, Al Pacino found himself in a bit of a blunder when announcing Oppenheimer’s Best Picture win at the Oscars, failing to name the nominees during the ceremony.

In a statement released since, the Academy Award-winning actor addressed the controversy, attributing the omission to the producers’ decision. “There seems to be some controversy about my not mentioning every film by name last night before announcing the best picture award,” Pacino stated through his representatives. “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 honored to be a part of the evening and chose to follow the way they wished for this award to be presented.”

Arriving on stage to the iconic theme from The Godfather and a standing ovation, Pacino initially teased a Shakespearean moment before revealing the final award of the evening. “This is the time for the last award of the evening, and it’s my honor to present it,” he announced. “Ten wonderfilm films were nominated, but only one will take the award for Best Picture. And I have to go to the envelope for that, and I will. Here it comes. And my eyes see Oppenheimer.”

While the audience and viewers at home took a moment to process the announcement, eventually, applause and cheers ensued.

Despite clips from the Best Picture nominees being featured throughout the telecast, Pacino acknowledged the potential for people to feel slighted. “I realize being nominated is a huge milestone in one’s life, and to not be fully recognized is offensive and hurtful,” Pacino remarked. “I say this as someone who profoundly relates with filmmakers, actors, and producers, so I deeply empathize with those who have been slighted by this oversight, and it’s why I felt it necessary to make this statement.”

Reflecting on the incident, host Jimmy Kimmel quipped during a post-ceremony interview with ABC’s Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos, “I guess he never watched an awards show before? It seemed like everyone in America knows the rhythm of how it’s supposed to go, down to ‘And the Oscar goes to… .’”