Al Pacino says Oscars producers asked him to omit reading best picture nominees

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Al Pacino says he was following the instructions of the Oscars producers when he omitted the names of the best picture nominees while announcing the winner of the show’s biggest category. The Oscar winner was Sunday night’s final presenter and announced “Oppenheimer” as the best picture winner without naming the full slate of nominees. Pacino issued a statement Monday that his presentation was a choice by the producers to not have them said again since they were highlighted individually throughout the ceremony. Pacino says that as a nine-time nominee he empathizes with those who felt slighted. The abrupt presentation caught many viewers off guard.