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In nearly a century of Academy Awards history, ties have been extraordinarily rare. Since the Oscars began 98 years ago, more than 2,000 trophies have been handed out, but only six of them had ended in a deadlock. That number has now increased.

At the 2026 Academy Awards, the Best Live-Action Short Film category produced a surprise few in the audience expected: a tie. When presenter Kumail Nanjiani stepped on stage and revealed the result, confusion rippled through the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

"It's a tie! I'm not joking! It's actually a tie, so everyone calm down," Nanjiani said during the ceremony on Sunday, March 15, 2026. Realizing the unusual situation, he added with a smile, "Hang on, we’re gonna get through this."

What followed was one of the most unexpected moments of the night.

Two Films Share The Oscar

The tie meant that two films walked away with the award: The Singers and Two People Exchanging Saliva.

To manage the moment, Nanjiani explained he would announce one winner first so the team could come on stage, followed by the second. Even the filmmakers themselves appeared surprised. Both acceptance speeches reflected a similar sentiment, they didn’t realize the Oscars could actually end in a tie.

While the Best Live-Action Short Film category rarely dominates headlines, this year’s unusual outcome instantly made it one of the ceremony’s most talked-about moments.

How Rare Are Ties At The Oscars?

Ties at the Academy Awards are almost unheard of. Before this year, only six ties had occurred in the history of the Oscars, dating back to the early days of the ceremony.

The first instance came in 1932, when Wallace Beery (The Champ) and Fredric March (Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde) finished with the same number of votes for Best Actor. The announcement initially named March as the sole winner before the error was corrected.

Other ties followed sporadically across decades:

• 1950: A Chance to Live and So Much for So Little tied for Best Documentary Short Subject.
• 1987: Artie Shaw: Time Is All You've Got and Down and Out in America shared the Best Documentary Feature award.
• 1995: Franz Kafka's It's a Wonderful Life and Trevor both won Best Live-Action Short Film (then called Best Short Film Live Action).
• 2013: Skyfall and Zero Dark Thirty tied for Best Sound Editing.

The Most Famous Oscars Tie

Among all tied wins, one remains legendary in Hollywood history.

At the 1969 Academy Awards, Katharine Hepburn and Barbra Streisand finished with the exact same vote count for Best Actress. Hepburn won for The Lion in Winter, while Streisand was honored for her unforgettable portrayal of Fanny Brice in Funny Girl.

That dramatic moment became one of the most memorable in Oscars history, and now, the 2026 ceremony has added another rare chapter to that list.