Oscar Awards: Academy Retains PwC Contract Despite 2017 Best Picture Fiasco

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President, Cheryl Boone Isaacs confirmed Tuesday night that the services of the accountancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) will be retained despite the Oscar ceremony fiasco last month regarding the Best Picture winner.

Fifty four percent among the board of governors at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences voted to keep working with PwC, which has been responsible for the envelopes at the Academy Awards for 84 years.

"After a thorough review, including an extensive presentation of revised protocols and ambitious controls, the Board has decided to continue working with PwC," Isaacs wrote Wednesday in a letter to Academy members, according to USA Today. She added that after so many years of working with the accountants, "we’ve been unsparing in our assessment that the mistake made by representatives of the firm was unacceptable."

Read: Oscars Best Picture Blunder One Of 7 Big Conspiracy Theories

Isaacs told BBC: "From the night of the ceremony through today, PwC has taken full responsibility for the mistake." The U.S. chairman of the firm Tim Ryan is expected to take "greater oversight role" at future academy award ceremonies. The authorities will also appoint another person to become a part of the on-site team at the Oscars. Isaacs also mentioned that this person would be responsible for the proper announcement of the award winners and will sit with the director as long as the event goes on.

She also specified that next year, prior to the ceremony, PwC will rehearse for the final day and the Academy will add "improvements to onstage envelope category verification."

Last month, during the Oscars, veteran PwC accountants Brian Cullinan handed over the wrong envelope to the presenters Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway. They announced "La La Land" as the best picture instead of "Moonlight" that actually won the academy award. The blunder came into public notice after "La La Land" producer Fred Berger tweeted about it. This incident caused serious confusion onstage and following this, the Academy announced that the two PwC accountants Martha Ruiz and Brian Cullinan won't be working for the ceremony in future. However, new regulations have been put in place now and PwC will continue to work with the Academy.