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 The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said on
Wednesday it has decided to retain the services of
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) despite a backstage envelope mix-up
that led to the wrong film being announced the winner of the
best picture Oscar last month.
But a third accountant will be added to the PwC staff on the
Oscars night and backstage tweeting, photos and posting to other
social media will be banned.
"After a thorough review, including an extensive presentation of
revised protocols and ambitious controls, the Board has decided
to continue working with PwC," Academy President Cheryl Boone
Isaacs wrote on Wednesday in a letter to Academy members that
was made available to the media.
Isaacs added that the Academy had been "unsparing in our
assessment that the mistake made by representatives of the firm
was unacceptable."
The unprecedented mishap led to musical "La La Land" being
declared the winner and its producers and cast celebrated and
started acceptance speeches on the stage before "Moonlight" was
named the real winner of the night's top prize.
Isaacs called it "the most extraordinary and memorable Oscars
ceremony in decades."
PwC, which has overseen Oscar balloting for 83 years, took full
responsibility for the gaffe, which stunned the A-list audience
in Hollywood and millions watching on television.
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PwC quickly removed the two accountants responsible from further
involvement in the Academy Awards and carried out a review of its
procedures.
Starting next year, Isaacs said PwC will place a third accountant in
the Oscars show control room, who will be able immediately to notify
the director should a mistake be made.
All accountants will have to hand over their phones and other
electronic devices before going backstage, Isaacs said.
That decision followed news that one of the accountants involved in
the Feb. 26 blunder had been taking photos backstage with
celebrities and posting them on Twitter during the ceremony.
Other new measures include closer checks of the winner envelopes on
stage and rehearsals with the accountants ahead of the Oscar
ceremony, Isaacs said.
PwC on Wednesday confirmed its services were being retained by the
Academy but said nothing more.
(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bill Rigby and Marguerita
Choy)
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