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How 'Moonlight's' shocking win ricocheted across Twitter.

The end of the 89th Academy Awards was one for the ages — and that's an understatement.

"Moonlight" writer-director Barry Jenkins accepts the Academy Award for Best Picture. Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images.

"Moonlight's" stunning upset victory over early frontrunner "La La Land" was made even more shocking by the fact that presenters Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway initially awarded the Best Picture trophy to the wrong film. Thinking they'd won, "La La Land's" producers delivered their entire acceptance speeches — only to hand the award off when they realized what had happened.

In many ways, this moment was exactly what Twitter was built for.

The mix-up unleashed a tidal wave of snark, followed by chaos, followed by jubilation — all playing out in real time.

Initially, supporters of "Moonlight" — who were stung that a groundbreaking black queer coming-of-age story would likely be shut out by a conventional Hollywood romance — prepared themselves for disappointment.

Starting with a win for Best Production Design, it seemed like "La La Land" was poised for a clean sweep of the night's biggest awards.

Tweeters of color in particular — including some of the most prominent voices on black Twitter — were less than pleased, especially when "La La Land" appeared to have claimed the night's top prize.

Then it happened. "La La Land" producer Jordan Horowitz stepped up to the mic and announced the mistake. "Moonlight" had actually won.

At first, it seemed like it might be a terrible prank.

But pretty quickly, it became clear Horowitz wasn't kidding. All hell broke loose.

News organizations had to adjust their breaking news alerts.

Shock and disbelief reverberated across social media.

When the confusion died down, it became clear the seemingly impossible had happened.

"Moonlight" had won Best Picture. For real.

And the celebration began.

The shocking upset victory was hailed as a long-overdue win for marginalized groups of artists...

...and for moviegoers who have waited just as long to see themselves on screen.

Many saw a deeper symbolism in the chaos and confusion.

Others praised the "La La Land" team for reacting to an enormously difficult moment with grace.

Most, however, were simply thrilled.

This victory for "Moonlight" may or may not represent a sea change in the way the Oscars does business.

Time will tell whether the Academy is truly committed to rewarding greater diversity in film. And "La La Land" deserves all the awards it won and critical recognition it's received.

But last night, a small, gorgeous, unsparing, nuanced movie about the life of a gay black kid in Miami, written and directed by artists of color, took home the top prize. What's more? It deserved it.

Now, more than ever, that matters.

Why 'Moonlight's' stunning, underdog victory was downright spectacular.

Even for an industry built on drama, nobody saw that coming.

At the 89th Academy Awards, Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway made a mistake. It wasn't entirely their fault. But still — it was one helluva mistake.

Warren Beatty addresses the audience after a jaw-dropping mix-up announcing Best Picture. Photo by Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images.

They announced the Best Picture winner as "La La Land" — the heavy favorite to take Sunday's top prize. But due to a shocking mix-up, it was revealed that "Moonlight" was the real winner.

“Moonlight” director Barry Jenkins, surrounded by his cast and crew, accepts the Oscar for Best Picture. Photo by Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images.

In a stunning, awkward, confusing and unprecedented 30 seconds of live television, the cast, crew, and creators of "La La Land" gracefully left the stage, and the team behind "Moonlight" — equally as confounded — rose to take it.

"This is not a joke, 'Moonlight' has won best picture," Jordan Horowitz, producer of "La La Land," said. "I'm going to be really proud to hand this to my friends from 'Moonlight.'"

As a stunned Barry Jenkins, the director of "Moonlight," took the stage, he said, "Even in my dreams, this could not be true. But to hell with dreams, I'm done with it because this is true."

Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, stars of "La La Land," welcome Mahershala Ali, star of "Moonlight," to the stage. Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images.

The extraordinary reversal was doubly shocking because so many people expected "La La Land" to take Best Picture. The film, following the story of a struggling actress hellbent on reaching success, perfectly mirrors the film industry's self-obsession. Featuring a predominantly white cast, it also painfully embodies Hollywood's diversity problem.

So, when "La La Land" was first announced, many people hoping for another outcome felt their hearts sink. But in what felt like a last-minute, long-shot miracle, "Moonlight" — a movie that features a main character who is gay — was vindicated in a historic win for Best Picture.

"Moonlight" director Barry Jenkins (nearest) and screenwriter Tarell Alvin McCraney pose with their Oscars. Photo by Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images.

This surprise outcome was all the more extraordinary for the fact that "Moonlight" is precisely the type of film that usually gets snubbed at the Oscars.

The story explores poverty, race, drug addiction, and sexuality, and many critics have argued the film is as important as it is compelling. It's exceedingly rare when a Hollywood film gives a voice to the characters and storylines shown in "Moonlight."

"[The film's] inspiring to people — little black boys and brown girls and other folks watching at home who feel marginalized," co-executive producer Adele Romanski said on stage.

In continuing the acceptance speech, Jenkins added, "There was a time when I thought this movie was impossible, because ... I couldn't bring it to fruition. I couldn't bring myself to tell another story. Everybody behind me on this stage said, no, that is not acceptable."

Sunday night, the world watched the kind of powerful, validating, surprising underdog victory that we only find believable in the movies — giving all of us hope that stories about empathy can triumph over escapism and that stories that give voice to diverse experiences can be recognized at the highest levels of our culture.

Watch "Moonlight" win Best Picture below:

"We watched 'Singin' in the Rain' every day for inspiration, and she was a truly unparalleled talent."

"La La Land," starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, is one of the year's most buzzed-about films.

Photo by Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images.

The film has all the flair and star power of a 21st-century Golden Globes favorite. A love story between an aspiring actor (Stone) and jazz pianist (Gosling) living in Los Angeles, "La La Land" puts a modern twist on the classic musical dramedies that defined past generations.

Though the late Debbie Reynolds wasn't involved with the film directly, it was her work more than 50 years ago that helped bring the magic of "La La Land" to life.

Photo by Donna Ward/Getty Images.

While accepting the Vanguard Award on behalf of the film at the Palm Springs International Film Festival on Jan. 2, 2017, Gosling credited Reynolds' "truly unparalleled talent" for inspiring the cast.

"I wish I could’ve said this [to her] in person, but I’d like to thank Debbie Reynolds for her wonderful career of work," Gosling said during his speech. "She was an inspiration to [the cast of 'La La Land'] every day. We watched 'Singin' in the Rain'every day for inspiration, and she was a truly unparalleled talent. So I thank her for all of that."

Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Palm Springs International Film Festival.

"Singin' in the Rain," which was released in 1952, has similarities to "La La Land."

The film, which starred Reynolds, Gene Kelly, and Donald O'Connor, followed performers living in 1920s Hollywood as the silent film industry transitioned to sound. Critics consider the film among the greatest musicals of all time.

[rebelmouse-image 19476407 dam="1" original_size="976x1178" caption="Reynolds and Kelly in a promotional photo for "Singin' in the Rain." Photo by AFP/Getty Images." expand=1]Reynolds and Kelly in a promotional photo for "Singin' in the Rain." Photo by AFP/Getty Images.

Gosling's tribute to Reynolds was met with boisterous applause. Reynolds died on Dec. 28, 2016, at age 84.

Her death came just one day after her daughter, "Star Wars" legend Carrie Fisher, died after suffering a heart attack.

Reynolds (left) and Fisher. Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images.

Gosling's speech touched on the timeless beauty of Reynolds' work and serves as a great lesson about the unsung power of inspiring others.

It's easy to feel like your work — or your love, or your generosity — goes unnoticed. Sometimes it's difficult to see how reaching a career milestone or doing a small favor for a friend makes an impact. But it does.

Not everyone gets honored in a speech about their work as a Hollywood legend or will have their Hollywood Walk of Fame star showered in flowers after their death. But each and every one of us makes choices that will stick with those around us in ways we'll never know.

Who will you inspire today?

Watch Gosling's acceptance speech below: