No future role for auditors at fault for Oscars mix-up

THE president of the Academy Awards has said the two accountants responsible for the best picture mix-up at Sunday’s award ceremony will not work at the Oscars again.

Brian Cullinan and Martha Ruiz were the two PwC auditors privy to the votes and responsible for the presenters’ envelopes.

Mr Cullinan handed Warren Beatty the wrong envelope during Sunday night’s ceremony, leading to La La Land incorrectly being announced as the winner rather than Moonlight.

Cheryl Boone Isaacs, the Academy president, said yesterday that neither would be renewing their Oscars role next year. PwC has counted Oscars votes successfully for 83 years.

She said the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ relationship with PwC, the accounting firm responsible for the integrity of the awards, remains under review.

Beatty had earlier urged the organisers of the Oscars to “publicly clarify” the reasons for the envelope mix-up.

The veteran actor, who presented the award alongside his Bonnie And Clyde co-star Faye Dunaway, was given the card for actress in a leading role rather than the best picture winner.

Tim Ryan, US chairman and senior partner at PwC, told Variety magazine that Mr Cullinan, chairman of PwC’s US board, was left feeling “very, very terrible and horrible” and repeated the firm’s apologies for the historic mix-up.

Ms Boone Isaacs praised presenters Beatty and Dunaway, and host Jimmy Kimmel for gracefully taking charge of the situation. She also lauded La La Land producer Jordan Horowitz, whom she said “went from a nominee to a winner to a presenter in a matter of minutes”.