LOS ANGELES, Jan. 28, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In anticipation of the upcoming 81st Annual Academy Awards, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC) today celebrates its 75th anniversary of counting the Oscars(r) ballots on behalf of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Since 1934 only 12 PwC representatives have led the balloting process, including current leaders, Brad Oltmanns and Rick Rosas, PwC partners based in Los Angeles. Oltmanns and Rosas will be the only two people in the world to know the identity of the Oscar winners before the live telecast on ABC at 5 p.m. PST (8 p.m. EST) on Sunday, February 22, 2009.
"The Academy is proud to recognize that for the past 75 years, PricewaterhouseCoopers has upheld the trust, integrity and tradition required in handling the Oscar ballots," said Sid Ganis, Academy President. "We look forward to continuing this long-standing relationship for many years to come."
During the 75 years, the painstaking process has remained the same and there has never been a security breach. In order to achieve complete confidentiality, Oltmanns and Rosas lead a tight-lipped group of accountants who work on the project from a top-secret location.
"This year is particularly special for PricewaterhouseCoopers as we celebrate our 75th anniversary counting the Oscars ballots on behalf of the Academy," said Brad Oltmanns. "PricewaterhouseCoopers' involvement with the Academy is extremely high-profile and represents an ongoing source of pride for the Firm." This will be Oltmanns' fifth year in a lead balloting role.
"Even with the technology advancements of the past 75 years, PricewaterhouseCoopers has never changed its process of hand tabulating the ballots to ensure the highest level of precision, discretion and secrecy," said Rick Rosas. "Our track record demonstrates the level of accuracy and reliability our Firm brings to the Academy and we look forward to continuing this long-standing tradition." This is Rosas' eighth year leading the Academy's balloting process.
PwC's twelve balloting leaders -- in chronological order -- include:
-- Harold Brewster, 1935 - 1941 -- Ivan Betts, 1941 - 1943 -- Warde Ogden, 1943 - 1948 -- Francis Holford, 1948 - 1953 -- Bill Miller, 1954 - 1969 -- Robert Ford, 1970 - 1976 -- Frank Johnson, 1977 - 1997 -- Dan Lyle, 1986 - 1996 -- Greg Garrison , 1996 - 2005 -- Lisa Pierozzi, 1998 - 2001 -- Rick Rosas, 2002 - present -- Brad Oltmanns, 2004 - present
How it Works
Nomination ballots were mailed to 5,810 voting members on December 26, 2008, with votes due by January 12, 2009. Nine days later, on January 21, the PricewaterhouseCoopers ballot team delivered nominations results to the Academy in preparation for the announcement on January 22. Final ballots will be mailed today (January 28, 2009); final ballots are due by February 17.
All completed ballots are delivered to PricewaterhouseCoopers. The balloting leaders then manually tabulate the responses according to Academy rules. As a precautionary measure, two complete sets of envelopes bearing recipients' names are prepared and brought by PricewaterhouseCoopers partners to the ceremony via separate, secret routes. As a second precautionary measure, the PricewaterhouseCoopers balloting leaders also memorize the names of the award winners.
Identities of Oscar recipients are kept confidential until they are announced during the live telecast. During the telecast, Oltmanns and Rosas will remain backstage and hand the envelopes to award presenters immediately before they walk onstage.
For additional information, visit: www.pwc.com/balloting.
Fun Facts from 75 Years of Oscars(r) Balloting
-- 440,000+: The approximate number of ballots counted by
PricewaterhouseCoopers in 75 years on the job.
-- 2,500+: The number of winners' envelopes stuffed since the
envelope system was introduced in 1941.
-- 1,700: The approximate number of "person-hours" it takes the
PricewaterhouseCoopers team every year to count and verify the
ballots by hand.
-- 34: The number of broadcasts PricewaterhouseCoopers' partners have
appeared on since 1953 -- the year the Oscars were first
televised. The partners used to come on stage to hand-deliver the
envelopes -- hence, "and the envelope please" -- but this is now
done just offstage. During the 2008 telecast, Rick Rosas and Brad
Oltmanns were featured in a short, humorous video clip about the
balloting process.
-- 24: The number of awards categories to be tabulated for the 81st
Academy Awards at a secret location known only to the members of
the small PricewaterhouseCoopers ballot team.
-- 7: The number of days it takes to count the ballots for
nominations.
-- 3: The number of days it takes to count the final ballots.
About PricewaterhouseCoopers
PricewaterhouseCoopers provides industry-focused assurance, tax and advisory services to build public trust and enhance value for its clients and their stakeholders. More than 155,000 people in 153 countries across our network share their thinking, experience and solutions to develop fresh perspectives and practical advice.
"PricewaterhouseCoopers" refers to the network of member firms of PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited, each of which is a separate and independent legal entity.