And the winner is? Only two men have the answer

John Daly says PriceWaterHouseCoopers accountants Brad Oltmanns and Rick Rosas know who has won the Oscars days before the world does. They count the ballots by hand in a windowless room before being escorted by police to the awards ceremony.

THE Oscars are a serious business. As the high point of the year for the film industry, which measures its worth in billions, Academy Awards night remains one of the biggest annual events across the globe.

Watched by a billion people in 100 countries, every detail of the marathon evening is measured and practised to the nth degree.