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Oscars see unexpected tie in short film category
For only the seventh time in nearly a century, the Academy Awards handed out a tie-this time for best live-action short film. The Singers and Two People Exchanging Saliva shared the honor during Sunday's ceremony in Los Angeles.
How the night unfolded
Presenter Kumail Nanjiani broke the news with visible surprise. "It's a tie. I'm not joking-it's actually a tie," he told the audience, drawing laughter. An audible gasp followed from the crowd.
Nanjiani quipped, "Ironic that the short film Oscar's going to take twice as long," before announcing each winner separately to let both teams savor the moment.
The winning films
The Singers, an 18-minute musical comedy, centers on music's power to bridge isolation. Director Sam A. Davis called it "a simple story about the power of art to bring us together." Producer Jack Piatt joined him onstage.
Two People Exchanging Saliva, a 36-minute dystopian film in French, explores art's societal impact. Co-director Alexandre Singh continued his speech even after the microphone cut, taking a playful jab at recent remarks by Timothée Chalamet. "We believe art can change souls and society," he said, as the crowd reacted with mixed cheers and jeers.
"It's such a dream,"
Co-director Natalie Musteata told reporters afterward.
History of Oscar ties
The Academy has seen ties only six times before. The most recent was in 2013, when Skyfall and Zero Dark Thirty won for best sound editing.
The 1969 best actress tie between Katharine Hepburn (The Lion in Winter) and Barbara Streisand (Funny Girl) remains the most debated. Streisand, then a newcomer, had been granted an exception to Academy membership rules due to her Tony-nominated Broadway work. She famously greeted her statuette with, "Hello, gorgeous."
Rules have since tightened. In 1932, Fredric March and Wallace Beery shared best actor, but only because Beery fell within three votes of March-a loophole later closed.
Full list of Academy Award ties
- 2013: Best sound editing (Skyfall, Zero Dark Thirty)
- 1995: Best live-action short film (Frank Kafka's It's a Wonderful Life, Trevor)
- 1987: Best documentary feature (Artie Shaw: Time Is All You've Got, Down and Out in America)
- 1969: Best actress (Hepburn, Streisand)
- 1950: Best documentary short (A Chance to Live, So Much for So Little)
- 1932: Best actor (March, Beery)
