The Oscars delivered a rare surprise when two films were announced as winners in the Best Live-Action Short Film category. Filmmakers from ‘The Singers’ and ‘Two People Exchanging Saliva’ shared the stage after the unusual tie.
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On a night famous for surprises, the Best Live-Action Short Film category at the Academy Awards delivered one of the strangest and most delightful twists of the evening: a rare tie. Two very different films, ‘The Singers’ and ‘Two People Exchanging Saliva’, both walked away with the golden statue on Sunday night.
Yes, two winners. One category. And a stage moment that felt both chaotic and charming.
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Even the presenters seemed a little stunned.
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The Academy Awards rarely end in ties. In fact, it has only happened seven times in the entire history of the Oscars.
The most recent tie before this year came in 2013, when ‘Skyfall’ and ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ shared the award for Best Sound Editing.
But the Best Live-Action Short category has seen this kind of drama before. More than three decades ago, in 1995, the films Trevor and Franz Kafka’s ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ also ended up sharing the prize.
“Wait… A tie is possible?” ask ‘The Singers’ team
First up to the microphone was director Sam A Davis, accepting the award for ‘The Singers’.
His reaction? Pure disbelief.
“Wow. I didn’t know that was a thing. A tie,” Davis told the audience with a laugh. “But I’m happy to be up here.”
The director used the moment to thank the people who helped bring the project to life. He gave a heartfelt shout-out to his parents, saying they convinced “a kid from Potterville, Michigan that this was a viable career avenue.”
Davis also thanked producers David Breschel and Jack Piatt, who he said pushed the film into existence.
But one of the most touching moments came when he spoke about the cast. The film features first-time performers, people who had never acted before and never imagined themselves appearing on a big screen.
Among them was Mike Yung, a New York City subway singer who has spent years performing underground for commuters.
Davis also gave thanks to Netflix, his girlfriend Paris, and even the La Habra Moose Lodge, joking that it felt surreal to thank the Academy in the same breath.
Before the second team came up, presenter Kumail Nanjiani could not resist cracking a joke.
“Ironic that the short film Oscar is going to take twice as long,” he quipped.
Next came the team behind ‘Two People Exchanging Saliva’, a film that could not be more different in tone.
Filmmakers Alexandre Singh and Natalie Musteata stepped up to accept the award.
Musteata began by acknowledging the unusual situation.
“We are so happy to be sharing this Oscar with ‘The Singers’,” she said.
She also thanked the other nominees and everyone who supported the project.
Then she highlighted something important about the film’s production.
“Thank you to the Academy for supporting a film that is weird and that is queer and that is made by a majority of women,” she said.
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