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Academy Gives the Boot to Accountants Involved in Oscars Mixup

Mar 1, 2017  •  Post A Comment

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences says the accountants who were responsible for the big flub at Sunday’s ceremony will never again work the Oscars ceremony.

Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs said today that Brian Cullinan and Martha Ruiz have been removed from all dealings with the film academy, the AP reports.

The bulk of the blame has fallen on Cullinan for reportedly tweeting a photo of actress Emma Stone backstage moments before handing the wrong envelope to Best Picture presenters Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway. Cullinan and Ruiz were each positioned at separate backstage entrances to the stage with a full set of envelopes containing the Oscar winners.

“The Academy president broke her silence four days after the biggest blunder in the 89-year history of the Academy Awards,” the AP reports. “She told The Associated Press that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ relationship with PwC, which has been responsible for tallying and revealing Oscar winners for 83 years, remains under review.”

4 Comments

  1. Cullinan’s ouster is understandable but why is Ruiz getting the same treatment?

  2. Isn’t it shortsighted to consider ending an almost a century professional relationship with an accounting company over an envelope mishap which turned a “one day story” into a publicity bonanza for the Oscars and the winning and losing movie, for days, all over the established and social media? Brian Cullinan should get a bonus. Then next year introduce the same two representatives each with one arm handcuffed to a uniformed guard. Each guard holding high a cell phone. Should get a big audience a social media laugh.

    • 1. Nowhere does it say that AMPAS has ended the relationship with PricewaterhouseCoopers. It just says they have terminated relations with those 2 specific PwC accountants. Get your facts straight.

      2. PwC is hired by the AMPAS for one job and one job only: ACCOUNTING. In this instance they committed a failure of the highest order. PwC is not paid by AMPAS to give the Oscars publicity. The Oscars get enough buzz as it is. They don’t need any extra “pub” via an accounting firm who catastrophically failed in their one job they were hired to do. Any publicity of this type is not a “bonanza.” It is a DISASTER.

      “Well, the architect failed and the building collapsed. But look at all the twitter mentions we’re getting!!!”
      Please…

      • I need to get my facts straight.
        I over looked the word “consider” in Gerry’s post.
        My point #2 still stands.

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