PricewaterhouseCoopers accountants will no longer be allowed to have their cellphones backstage during the Oscars after the president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences sent out an email to Academy members Wednesday.
In the email, President Cheryl Boone Isaacs outlined new protocol for announcing Oscar winners in the future, sparked by the Best Picture mistake from this year’s Academy Awards.
PricewaterhouseCoopers, the accounting firm that’s been responsible for counting the Oscars ballots for more than 80 years, apologized in February after the "La La Land" was mistakenly announced the winner instead of "Moonlight."
The mixup was said to have occurred after one of the accountants backstage was seen looking at his cellphone while holding two envelopes.
According to The Associated Press, two PwC accountants are always tasked with counting the ballots and they're also the only individuals who know who the winners for each award are prior to the Oscars ceremony.
Previously, each PwC accountant was located at opposite sides of the stage with the same set of envelopes for each award category.
However, this will no longer be the case. According to Isaacs, moving forward there will be a third balloting partner privy to the winners prior to the ceremony.
PwC partners also will be required to attend each Oscars rehearsal from here on out.
The change comes as the Academy Awards approaches its 90th ceremony, which will happen next year.
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