The 98th Academy Awards on March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles delivered a rare tie in Best Live Action Short Film. “The Singers” and “Two People Exchanging Saliva” both claimed the Oscar, marking the seventh tie in Academy Awards history.
Rare Oscars Tie Moment
Presenter Kumail Nanjiani stunned the crowd, announcing, “It’s a tie, I’m not joking.” He steadied the laughing audience before inviting both teams onstage. This moment recalled prior ties, such as the 2013 Sound Editing split between “Skyfall” and “Zero Dark Thirty.”
Sam A. Davis, director of “The Singers,” joined producer Jack Piatt and team members onstage. They highlighted the film’s theme of music bridging divides among bar patrons. Directors Alexandre Singh and Natalie Musteata of “Two People Exchanging Saliva” celebrated their dystopian tale set in a repressive Paris department store.
Film Details and Nominees
“The Singers,” an 18-minute American musical comedy, depicts bar-goers in a singing contest triggered by a wager. It features non-actors from viral clips and live songs like “The House of the Rising Sun.” Netflix picked it up after 35 festival awards.
“Two People Exchanging Saliva,” a 36-minute French-U.S. co-production, satirizes consumerism and control. Two women traverse a store that bans kisses, where slaps serve as currency under authoritarian rule.
Other nominees were “Butcher’s Stain” (Israel, 26 min.), “A Friend of Dorothy” (UK, 21 min.), and “Jane Austen’s Period Drama” (USA, 12 min.).
Academy Awards Tie History
Six ties preceded this 2026 event. The inaugural ceremony took place in 1932 for Best Actor, shared by Fredric March (“Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”) and Wallace Beery (“The Champ”). In 1969, Katharine Hepburn (“The Lion in Winter”) and Barbra Streisand (“Funny Girl”) tied for Best Actress.
Additional instances: 1986 Irving G. Thalberg Memorial to Raina and Fosse; 1995 Best Live Action Short (“Trevor” and “Franz Kafka’s It’s a Wonderful Life”); 2012 and 2013 Sound Editing ties.
Ceremony Highlights
“One Battle After Another” dominated with Best Picture, Director for Paul Thomas Anderson, and four more wins, totaling six Oscars. “Sinners” secured four, including Best Actor for Michael B. Jordan. “KPop Demon Hunters” took an Animated Feature.
Nanjiani’s poise turned surprise into celebration. Both short film teams voiced shock at the tie’s odds.
Short Films Gain Spotlight
This tie elevates short films, typically sidelined in awards buzz. Both victors mix humor, music, and critique in under-40 minutes, rivaling feature-length works. Close votes in specialized categories, like live-action shorts, make ties possible.
Netflix expands “The Singers'” audience from festival circuits. “Two People Exchanging Saliva” advances the profiles of artist-filmmakers. Global entries gain visibility through such shared spotlights.
Ties Signal Short Film Momentum
Oscar ties stay scarce across nearly 3,000 awards given, reflecting razor-thin voter divides. This Best Live Action Short tie, from U.S. comedy to French satire, underscores category diversity. It proves that short formats now drive indie innovation amid Hollywood’s feature focus, urging greater voter attention to the power of concise storytelling. Shared glory here hints at collaborative futures over cutthroat races.
Image Credit – VALERIE MACON / AFP
