The 2026 Oscars made history with a rare occurrence as two films shared the Best Live Action Short award. The Singers, a musical comedy, and Two People Exchanging Saliva, a French drama, both received the prestigious honor. The tie was announced by Kumail Nanjiani, surprising both the audience and presenter Conan O’Brien. This marked only the seventh instance of a tie in the almost 100-year history of the Oscars.
This unique event is a standout moment in the Oscars’ long history, with ties happening only seven times in 98 editions. The first tie occurred in 1932 when Fredric March and Wallace Beery both won Best Actor, despite March receiving more votes. This led to a rule change, ensuring only the exact number of votes counted for winners in the future.
In subsequent years, notable ties included Documentary Short winners So Much For So Little and A Chance To Live in 1950, and Best Actress winners Katharine Hepburn and Barbra Streisand in 1969. The controversy surrounding Barbra’s early membership in the Academy raised questions about studio influence, which was denied by industry figures.
Further ties were witnessed in 1987 for Best Documentary and in 1995 for Best Live Action Short, with films such as Artie Shaw: Time Is All You’ve Got and Down And Out In America sharing the accolades. The trend continued in 2013 when Zero Dark Thirty and Skyfall tied for Best Sound Editing.
This remarkable tie at the 2026 Oscars adds to the prestigious history of the awards, showcasing the exceptional talent and diversity in the film industry.