Oscars 2026: Unprecedented Tie in Best Live Action Short Category!

During the 2026 Oscars, the award for best live action short film resulted in a surprising tie between "The Singers" and "Two People Exchanging Saliva." Kumail Nanjiani presented the award and initially stunned the audience by announcing the tie.

Presentation Shock

Nanjiani informed the audience not to panic while revealing the tie. He expressed disbelief, stating, "I'm not joking. It's actually a tie." The teams from both films later came on stage to accept their awards.

History of Oscar Ties

The 2026 tie marks only the seventh instance in Oscar history. The first occurred in 1932 in the best actor category with Fredric March and Wallace Beery both winning. Another notable tie happened in 1969 when Katharine Hepburn and Barbra Streisand shared the best actress honors.

Changes in Voting Rules

Originally, rules allowed for close votes of within three to also receive awards until changes made later required exact vote counts. Additional ties have occurred since then in various categories, including two films tying for best documentary feature in 1987.