PricewaterhouseCoopers will keep its position with the Academy of Motion Picture, despite messing up its only job.
The accounting firm, which has overseen the Academy Awards voting since 1934, will retain that role, Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs announced Wednesday morning.
“Heading into our 84th year working with PwC, a partnership that is important to the Academy, we’ve been unsparing in our assessment that the mistake made by representatives of the firm was unacceptable,” Isaacs told board members in an email, according to Entertainment Tonight.
“Throughout the last month, the Academy team has worked hand-in-hand with PwC to review our wide-ranging relationship — everything from Oscars voting, auditing, and taxes — during which we asked them to lay out for us a path and a process towards ensuring that everything will continue to the high standards the Academy expects and you deserve.
“From the night of the ceremony through today, PwC has taken full responsibility for the mistake. After a thorough review, including an extensive presentation of revised protocols and ambitious controls, the Board has decided to continue working with PwC.”
Accountants Brian Cullinan and Martha Ruiz took the fall after “La La Land” was mistakenly announced as the Best Picture at the Oscars last month.
“Moonlight” was the correct winner.
In an attempt to prevent any further fiascos, a third balloting official, who will know the winners ahead of time, will be positioned in the control room to cut the time necessary to catch an error.
Accountants also won’t be allowed to have electronics backstage after Cullinan was spotted tweeting a photo of Emma Stone instead of handing Warren Beatty the correct envelope.
PwC previously announced that Cullinan and Ruiz will keep their jobs at the company, but won’t work future ceremonies.
