The Singers and Two People Exchanging Saliva: ‘It’s a tie, I’m not joking’ — Oscars stunned
the singers was one of two films announced as winners in a rare tie for the Best Live Action Short award at the Oscars, an unusual moment that left the room reacting in real time to an outcome many had not expected.
What Happens Next for The Singers?
The Singers, an 18-minute musical comedy directed by Sam A Davis and produced by Jack Piatt, was announced first and its director reacted with surprise, saying, “A tie, wow we didn’t know that could happen. ” The film was presented on stage where Davis delivered an acceptance speech describing the film as “a simple story about the power of music and art to bring us together in a moment when we live in an increasingly isolated world. “
The other winning title, Two People Exchanging Saliva, is a 36-minute dystopian French-language film directed by Natalie Musteata and Alexandre Singh. Musteata and Singh accepted the award alongside The Singers; Musteata said she was “so happy to be sharing this Oscar with The Singers. ” Singh continued speaking despite technical interruptions and used his remarks to underline a belief in art’s social impact, saying that art can “change people’s souls” and can change society “through art and creativity, through theatre and ballet. “
How Rare Is an Oscars Tie?
Ties at the Academy Awards are uncommon and notable moments in the ceremony’s history. The event in question joins a small list of past occasions where two nominees shared an award. The first time a tie occurred was when Fredric March and Wallace Beery shared a best actor prize. Other historical shared awards include the match between two major films in the sound editing category and a past occasion when Katharine Hepburn and Barbra Streisand shared an acting award. The room’s live reaction—laughter, surprise and audible comments—underscored how extraordinary a dual winner announcement remains in the Academy’s history.
How Winners and Presenter Managed the Moment?
Presenter Kumail Nanjiani handled the announcement with astonishment and composure, declaring, “It’s a tie, I’m not joking, it’s actually a tie, ” and instructing the audience to remain calm while he moved through two acceptance moments. He injected humor into the interruption, joking that “the short-film Oscar is going to take twice as long. ” The two winning teams took turns on stage: The Singers’ team gave their remarks first, and the Two People Exchanging Saliva team followed; Singh persisted with his speech even as a microphone issue and lights interrupted him.
Onstage reactions varied from cheers to jeers when Singh made a pointed reference that drew mixed response from the audience. Musteata described the experience as “such a dream, ” and the shared moment highlighted both the unpredictability of the live ceremony and the emotional stakes for short-film creators receiving their first Oscar recognition.
These events mark another rare entry in the Academy’s long history of occasional ties, and they produced immediate, memorable moments onstage as two distinct films shared the same accolade.
