PwC auditors involved in the Best Picture mix up unlikely to work at the Oscars again
The auditors behind the Oscars Best Picture mix-up will likely never tread the red carpet again, the president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has said.
PWC’s Brian Cullinan and Martha Ruiz will not reprise their starring roles administering the vote, Cheryl Boone Isaacs told the Associated Press.
PWC could still lose the job altogether, Boone Isaacs said, with the position currently under review after the biggest mistake in Oscar’s history. Cullinan gave presenters Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty the envelope for Best Actress rather than Best Picture, resulting in pre-ceremony favourite La La Land being announced as the winner to a global audience on Sunday night. The error was only corrected after two producers had finished their acceptance speech, with Moonlight finally announced as the correct winner.
Boone Isaacs’ statements came after Beatty called on the Academy to “publicly clarify what happened as soon as possible”. The Academy said on Monday it “will determine what actions are appropriate going forward” in its relationship with PWC, which has administered the Oscar’s voting process for 83 years.
PWC apologised for the error, saying: “We sincerely apologise to Moonlight, La La Land, Warren Beatty, Faye Dunaway, and Oscar viewers for the error that was made during the award announcement for Best Picture. “We are currently investigating how this could have happened, and deeply regret that this occurred.”