Twitterhappy PwC executive behind Oscar Best Picture fiasco
LOS ANGELES : An accountant for the Academy Awards botched the procedure for announcing the Oscar for best picture when he handed victory to La La Land before declaring Moonlight the real winner, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) said on Monday.
Accountant Brian Cullinan, who media reports said had been tweeting backstage shortly before, gave presenters Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway the wrong envelope for the top award on Sunday, the firm said.
In a gaffe that stunned the Dolby Theatre crowd in Hollywood and a television audience worldwide, “Cullinan mistakenly handed the back-up envelope for Actress in a Leading Role instead of the envelope for Best Picture” to the presenters, PwC said.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Cullinan had tweeted a backstage photo of actor Emma Stone minutes before the gaffe. Cullinan could not be reached for comment. The mistake was not rectified until the La La Land cast and producers were on stage giving acceptance speeches. It was left to the musical’s producer, Jordan Horowitz, to put things right. “Guys, guys, I’m sorry. No. There’s a mistake,” he said. “Moonlight, you guys won best picture. This is not a joke.”
It took three hours for PwC to confirm that the presenters received the wrong category envelope. PwC said it took full responsibility and apologised to the casts and crews of La La Land and Moonlight.