HOLLYWOOD — PricewaterhouseCoopers, the accounting firm for the Academy Awards, accidentally posted the winners on their website this morning. 

HOLLYWOOD — PricewaterhouseCoopers, the accounting firm for the Academy Awards, accidentally posted the winners on their website this morning. 

The firm quickly removed the winners list from the site and issued this statement. 

“We apologize to the Academy and the nominees.  We at PricewaterhouseCoopers take full responsibility for the inadvertent release of the winners.  We are embarrassed and ashamed that we violated the trust We have fired the responsible party, an assistant in the public relations wing in our New York headquarters.  She was instructed to post the list at 6:00 AM EST tomorrow, February 28th.  Instead, she released the information this morning at 6:00 AM.  Her contract has been terminated.” 

The list, which has been making the internet rounds, is as follows:

Best Picture: The Social Network

Actor in a Leading Role: Colin Firth

Actress in a Leading Role: Natalie Portman

Actor in a Supporting Role: Christian Bale

Actress in a Supporting Role: Helena Bonham Carter

Animated Feature Film: Toy Story 3

Art Direction: Alice in Wonderland

Cinematography: Black Swan

Costume Design: True Grit

Directing: Darren Aronofsky

Documentary Feature: Restrepo

Documentary Short: Poster Girl

Film Editing: The Fighter

Foreign Language: Biutiful

Makeup: The Wofman

Music (Original Score): Inception

Music (Original Song): “If I Rise”

Short Film (Animated): The Lost Thing

Short Film (Live Action): God of Love

Sound Editing: Inception

Sound Mixing: Inception

Visual Effects: Alice in Wonderland

Writing (Adapted Screenplay): The Social Network

Writing (Original Screenplay): King’s Speech

PricewaterhouseCoopers has coordinated the Oscar vote for the last 73 years, overseeing everything from mailing and counting ballots to guarding and distributing the envelopes containing winners’ names.  This morning’s release is their first security breach.