The night after the Oscars snafu that floored Hollywood, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences has issued an apology regarding the mix-up. During Sunday’s 89th annual Academy Awards, presenters Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway received the wrong envelope and thus announced La La Land for Best Picture, only for Moonlight to be revealed as the true winner of the golden statue in the midst of La La Land’s acceptance. “We deeply regret the mistakes that were made during the presentation of the Best Picture category during last night’s Oscar ceremony,” the Academy wrote in a statement. “We salute the tremendous grace they displayed under the circumstances. To all involved — including our presenters Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway, the filmmakers, and our fans watching worldwide — we apologize.”
Though the Academy did make clear in their statement that they were committed to “upholding the integrity of the Oscars,” they were also not about to take the blame for this incident. Much of the statement is dedicated to reminding everyone that PricewaterhouseCoopers, the accounting firm that tallies the Oscar votes, has already taken responsibility:
For the last 83 years, the Academy has entrusted PwC to handle the critical tabulation process, including the accurate delivery of results. PwC has taken full responsibility for the breaches of established protocols that took place during the ceremony. We have spent last night and today investigating the circumstances, and will determine what actions are appropriate going forward.
So, if you’re an accounting firm in the Los Angeles area looking for a lucrative, high-stakes gig, maybe now’s the time to start slipping your résumé under an Academy’s door.
