Oscars

Only Two People Know This Year's Academy Award Winners

The final count is in, and only two people in the world know this year's Academy Award winners. NBC4 caught up with them Friday after the ballots were counted.

Brian Cullinan and Martha Ruiz of PricewaterhouseCoopers, a professional services firm, took about 48 hours to hand count the Oscar ballots in an undisclosed location.

"It's pretty thrilling to be part of the tradition in Hollwood," Ruiz said.

When the count is complete, there is no physical list of winners -- Cullinan and Ruiz memorize the winners, and stuff the envelopes themselves.

"The printer who prepares the cards and envelopes will prepare one for each of the nominees, for each of the categories," Ruiz said. "So even they will not know who the final winner is."

On Sunday, they will each have a briefcase and a full set of envelopes. They will arrive in separate cars and take different routes to the red carpet -- escorted by officers from the Los Angeles Police Department at all times.

"This is not a bodyguard, this is a briefcase guard," Cullinan said.

But even after the winners are announced, they still have secrets they will always have to keep, like who got second place, or how close the race was, Cullinan said.

Not even the Academy gets that information -- Cullinan and Ruiz will be backstage and hand the evelopes to presenters.

PricewaterhouseCoopers is celebrating its 82nd year leading the Oscars balloting process on behalf of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

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