• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Tech

Those PwC Accountants Behind Oscars Blunder Will Not Be Back

By
Reuters
Reuters
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Reuters
Reuters
Down Arrow Button Icon
March 1, 2017, 4:27 PM ET
89th Academy Awards - Oscars Red Carpet Arrivals
89th Academy Awards - Oscars Red Carpet Arrivals - Hollywood, California, U.S. - 26/02/17 - Mahershala Ali, winner of the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for "Moonlight" REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni - RTS10H90Mario Anzuoni / Reuters

The organizers of the Academy Awards said on Wednesday that the two PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) accountants behind the mix up that saw La La Land incorrectly named best picture before Moonlight was declared the real winner, will not work the Oscars ceremony again.

A spokesperson for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences said PwC accountants Brian Cullinan and Martha Ruiz will no longer tabulate Oscar votes and hand out envelopes containing winners’ names at Hollywood’s most prestigious awards ceremony.

No decision has been announced by the organization on whether it will continue its partnership with PwC, which has handled the Oscar tabulation process for 83 years.

PwC had earlier taken full responsibility for the gaffe that stunned the Dolby Theatre crowd in Hollywood and a television audience worldwide.

The onstage blunder was not rectified until the La La Land cast and producers were on stage giving their acceptance speeches caught the mistake and announced Moonlight as the real winners. The mishap was unprecedented for the usually meticulously choreographed ceremony and stole the spotlight from the winners.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune‘s technology newsletter.

PwC said Cullinan had mistakenly handed presenters Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway, who were announcing the best picture winner, the back-up envelope for Actress in a Leading Role instead of the envelope for Best Picture.

“Once the error occurred, protocols for correcting it were not followed through quickly enough by Mr. Cullinan or his partner,” the accounting firm said in a statement.

Cullinan had posted a now-deleted backstage photo of actress Emma Stone after she won her best actress Oscar on Twitter (TWTR) minutes before the mix-up.

A day after the incident, the Academy and apologized to all affected, including presenters Beatty and Dunaway, and said it will “determine what actions are appropriate going forward.”

About the Author
By Reuters
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

NewslettersCIO Intelligence
Inside tractor maker CNH’s push to bring more artificial intelligence to the farm
By John KellDecember 10, 2025
2 hours ago
NewslettersTerm Sheet
5 VCs sounds off on the AI question du jour
By Amanda GerutDecember 10, 2025
3 hours ago
Databricks co-founder and CEO Ali Ghodsi (right) with Fortune editorial director Andrew Nusca at Fortune Brainstorm AI 2025 in San Francisco. (Photo: Stuart Isett/Fortune)
NewslettersFortune Tech
How Databricks could achieve a trillion-dollar valuation
By Andrew NuscaDecember 10, 2025
3 hours ago
Zhenghua Yang
SuccessSmall Business
At 18, doctors gave him three hours to live. He played video games from his hospital bed—and now, he’s built a $10 million-a-year video game studio
By Preston ForeDecember 10, 2025
4 hours ago
AsiaCoupang
Coupang CEO resigns over historic South Korean data breach
By Yoolim Lee and BloombergDecember 10, 2025
6 hours ago
AIpalantir
New contract shows Palantir is working on a tech platform for another federal agency that works with ICE
By Jessica MathewsDecember 9, 2025
13 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Economy
‘Fodder for a recession’: Top economist Mark Zandi warns about so many Americans ‘already living on the financial edge’ in a K-shaped economy 
By Eva RoytburgDecember 9, 2025
17 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Success
When David Ellison was 13, his billionaire father Larry bought him a plane. He competed in air shows before leaving it to become a Hollywood executive
By Dave SmithDecember 9, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Banking
Jamie Dimon taps Jeff Bezos, Michael Dell, and Ford CEO Jim Farley to advise JPMorgan's $1.5 trillion national security initiative
By Nino PaoliDecember 9, 2025
18 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Uncategorized
Transforming customer support through intelligent AI operations
By Lauren ChomiukNovember 26, 2025
14 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Even the man behind ChatGPT, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, is worried about the ‘rate of change that’s happening in the world right now’ thanks to AI
By Preston ForeDecember 9, 2025
22 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Real Estate
The 'Great Housing Reset' is coming: Income growth will outpace home-price growth in 2026, Redfin forecasts
By Nino PaoliDecember 6, 2025
4 days ago
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.