Academy Boots Both PwC Accountants From Next Year’s Oscars

Brian Cullinan and Martha Ruiz, the two PwC accountants who worked on this year’s Oscar telecast that ended in chaos when the wrong Best Picture was announced, will not be working on next year’s show, Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs announced Wednesday.

Cullinan, a 32-year veteran of the accounting firm formerly known as Pricewaterhousecoopers, had worked on the Academy Awards for four years; Ruiz had worked on the Oscars for three years.

Cullinan shouldered much of the blame for handing the wrong envelope to presenters Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway backstage, which resulted in “La La Land” incorrectly being announced as Best Picture instead of actual winner “Moonlight.”

Cullinan may have been distracted by social media — just a few minutes before the fateful mishap, he tweeted a photo of Best Actress winner Emma Stone (which was subsequently deleted).