The producers behind the Academy Awards have come up with a new set of protocols in an attempt to avoid another embarrassing cock-up like the one that occurred at the 2017 Oscars.
In that now infamous moment, presenters Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty were mistakenly given the wrong envelope ahead of their presentation of the award for Best Picture. La La Land, which led the nominees, was announced as the winner of the accolade - but the real winner was Moonlight.
There was much confusion, as the producers of La La Land were part way through their acceptance speech when the mistake was discovered and the Moonlight team were brought on-stage.
The Academy and Pricewaterhousecoopers (PwC), the accounting firm behind the error, apologised for the blunder - but it now appears they are going to lengths to ensure it never happens again, with The Hollywood Reporter revealing there is new protocol in place for 2018 following a month-long review of the incident.
Below is a list of the changes that will be made after that review:
1. PwC's envelope delivery people from the 2017 ceremony are gone.
Brian Cullinan and Martha Ruiz, PwC's balloting leaders since 2014, have been removed from their positions. They were deemed to have not only given out the incorrect envelope, but to have reacted slowly to the mistake they'd made.
It has since come to light that there were concerns about Mr Cullinan before the 2017 show, due to his tendency to use social media heavily while working on previous Academy Award ceremonies. Academy chief executive Dawn Hudson explicitly telling him not to this time around, but it turned out to be an order he ignored.
He was also found to have thrown a party the night before the Oscars, where he allegedly bragged about knowing the winners and being in the eye of the media.
2. PwC partner Rick Rosas will be reinstated as balloting leader.
Mr Rosas had the responsibility of handing out the winning envelopes in the 12 years between 2002 and 2013 - a period that never saw a blunder anywhere near as big as that which occurred this year.
Academy producers see him as a safe pair of hands, and he will also be given another PwC employee to assist him in his duties on the night. A third person will also be in the control room to make sure of a quicker response to a mistake.
3. PwC staff will have to take part in rehearsals.
In previous years, PwC employees have not been involved in Oscars rehearsals due to fears over potential leaks. That will change from 2018, to ensure that the accountants know exactly what they are doing at all the crucial moments.
4. PwC staff will not be allowed any electronic devices.
Seen as one of the key factors in the mix-up at Oscars 2017, the three accountants involved in the envelope delivery process will not be allowed access to any devices during the ceremony.
Producers deemed Mr Cullinan's use of social media this year as something that distracted him from his core role as ballot leader, and have thus banned their use.
Oscars producers have also said they will continue to look at ways to ensure that protocol is always kept up-to-date, in order to prevent the possibility of another howler at future ceremonies.
Newshub.
