Rare Oscars tie stuns winners: ‘I didn’t know that was a thing’

WASHINGTON — For just the seventh time in history, there was a tie at the Oscars. 

While presenting the award for best live action short film on Sunday at the 98th Academy Awards, comedian Kumail Nanjiani announced there had been a tie. 

“It’s a tie, I’m not joking,” Nanjiani revealed after opening the envelope on stage. “It’s actually a tie, so everyone calm down we’re going to get through this. Focus up” 

It’s such a rare feat that even the winners didn’t know it was possible. 

When “The Singers,” the first of the two winners in the category came up, one of the winners remarked: “I didn’t know that was a thing, a tie.”

Before Nanjiani revealed the second winner, he remarked that it was ironic that the short film Oscar was going to take twice as long.

He then announced “Two People Exchanging Saliva” as the other winner. 

“You just ruined 22 million Oscars pools,” Academy Awards host Conan O’Brien joked after the category. 

Best actor in 1931/1932: Fredric March, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde; Wallace Beery, The Champ. The Academy notes this wasn’t a true tie as March had one more vote, but rules at the time said anything within three votes of the winner would be a “tie.” The rules have since been changed, so only exact matches are a tie. 

Best documentary in 1949: “A Chance to Live” and “So Much for So Little”

Best actress in 1968: Katharine Hepburn, “The Lion in Winter” and Barbra Streisand, “Funny Girl”

Best documentary in 1986: “Artie Shaw: Time Is All You’ve Got” and “Down and Out in America”

Best live action short film in 1994: “Franz Kafka’s It’s a Wonderful Life” and “Trevor”

Best sound editing in 2012: “Skyfall” and “Zero Dark Thirty”