Additional Coverage:
- The best live-action short film Oscar ended in a rare tie. Here are the 7 ties in Academy Awards history. (businessinsider.com)
Hollywood History Repeats Itself: The Rare Oscar Tie Makes a Comeback at the 2026 Academy Awards
Los Angeles, CA – The glitz and glamour of the Academy Awards, held Sunday night at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood, delivered a truly uncommon moment: a tie in the highly competitive Best Live-Action Short Film category. This surprising outcome marks only the seventh tie in the storied history of the Oscars, sending a ripple of excitement and a touch of comedic confusion through the star-studded audience.
The coveted golden statuette for Best Live-Action Short Film was shared by two deserving entries: “The Singers,” directed by Sam A. Davis and produced by Jack Piatt, and “Two People Exchanging Saliva,” from the directorial duo Natalie Musteata and Alexandre Singh.
Presenting the award, comedian Kumail Nanjiani opened the envelope to an unexpected revelation. “It’s a tie.
I’m not joking. It’s actually a tie.
So everyone, calm down, we’re going to get through this,” Nanjiani quipped, navigating the unusual moment with characteristic humor. He then proceeded to call each winning team to the stage individually to accept their awards.
Sam A. Davis of “The Singers” expressed his surprise, stating, “A tie.
Wow. I didn’t know that was a thing.
A tie, but we’re happy to be up here.” Natalie Musteata, representing “Two People Exchanging Saliva,” echoed the sentiment, remarking, “so happy to be sharing this Oscar with ‘The Singers.'”
Nanjiani lightened the mood further, joking, “Ironic that the short film Oscar is going to take twice as long.”
This rare occurrence brings to mind the handful of times the Academy has found itself in a dead heat. The last tie occurred in 2013, when both “Zero Dark Thirty” and “Skyfall” shared the award for Best Sound Editing.
Mark Wahlberg, presenting alongside the animated character Ted, delivered the news with similar surprise: “We have a tie. No BS.
We have a tie.”
Other notable ties throughout Oscar history include:
- 1995: Best Live-Action Short Film – “Franz Kafka’s It’s a Wonderful Life” and “Trevor” split the award, much to presenter Tim Allen’s “Oh mon dieu!” surprise.
- 1987: Best Feature Documentary – “Artie Shaw: Time is All You’ve Got” and “Down and Out in America” were both honored, prompting a surprised “It is a tie. A tie!”
from presenter Oprah Winfrey.
- 1969: Best Actress – A legendary tie between Katharine Hepburn (“The Lion in Winter”) and Barbra Streisand (“Funny Girl”), announced with surprise by Ingrid Bergman.
- 1950: Best Documentary (Short Subject) – “A Chance to Live” and “So Much for So Little” marked the first exact tie in Oscar history.
- 1932: Best Actor – Wallace Beery (“The Champ”) and Fredric March (“Dr.
Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”) shared the award.
This was a unique instance, as under Academy rules at the time, a difference of just one vote constituted a shared win.
The 2026 Oscars will undoubtedly be remembered for this unexpected turn of events, adding another intriguing chapter to the Academy’s long and illustrious history.