In the high-stakes world of the Academy Awards, the phrase "And the Oscar goes to..." is meant to herald a single, triumphant victor. Yet, on a handful of rare occasions, the envelope has contained a stunning surprise: two names. Over the ceremony's long history, stretching back to its origins as a tactic by studio heads to manage talent, a perfect voting deadlock has occurred just seven times.
The very first tie took place at the 5th Oscars in 1932 for Best Actor. Wallace Beery (The Champ) and Fredric March (Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde) were declared co-winners, though a quirky rule was actually to blame. March had more votes, but any nominee within three votes was considered a winner. The moment caused enough confusion that March began a solo acceptance speech before Beery's victory was confirmed—a precursor to the La La Land/Moonlight mix-up decades later.
Nearly twenty years passed before the next shared award. At the 1950 ceremony, the Documentary Short Subject category saw a draw between A Chance to Live, a March of Time series entry about an Italian boys' home, and the animated public health film So Much for So Little from Warner Bros. Cartoons.
The Star-Studded Standoff
The most famous tie is undoubtedly the 1969 Best Actress race. Two entertainment titans, Katharine Hepburn (The Lion in Winter) and Barbra Streisand (Funny Girl), split the honor. This win was Hepburn's third of a record four acting Oscars, while it marked Streisand's first—a legendary convergence of Hollywood royalty. For fans of prestige drama, such iconic performances set a standard that few series match, though some argue HBO's 'John Adams' captures a similar gravitas in the television realm.
In 1987, the Best Documentary Feature award was shared. Artie Shaw: Time is All You've Got, a portrait of the famed musician, tied with Down and Out in America, Lee Grant's critique of Reagan-era economics. Interestingly, both films were directed by women, and the Artie Shaw documentary later found itself in a real-life courtroom drama when its subject sued over profits.
Modern Deadlocks and How to Watch Them
The most recent ties occurred in the 21st century. In 2013, the Sound Editing category couldn't separate Zero Dark Thirty and Skyfall, a rare technical award tie. Then, in 2013, Live Action Short Film saw Franz Kafka's It's a Wonderful Life (a brilliantly bizarre mash-up) share the stage with Trevor. While these shorts can be hard to find, streaming services often rotate Oscar-winning films. For instance, the Oscar-winning thriller 'The Hurt Locker' exits Netflix soon, a reminder to catch acclaimed titles while you can.
These seven moments prove that even the most calculated awards can yield an unexpected, shared victory. They highlight years where the competition was so fierce that the Academy simply couldn't choose. As we look to future ceremonies, with franchises like 'Dune' eyeing historic Oscar feats, the possibility of another tie remains a thrilling, if remote, prospect.
Want more Oscar deep dives or recommendations on what to watch? Check out our Prime Video weekend watchlist for a curated mix of thrilling and acclaimed titles.