After all the campaigning, the nominations, and the nail-biting wait, only one gets to enjoy the moment of winning the Oscar and holding the golden statuette in hand. However, there is not always just one winner. On rare and unforgettable instances, the Academy has handed the honor to not one, but two winners in the same category, which is a tie. But when the votes for a category are so close, how does the Academy decide a winner?

Looking back at some of the most memorable ties in Oscar history, here is how the Academy handles these surprising results.

In the early days of the Academy, a near-tie was enough if someone came within a few votes of the winner, and both could also get the award. But since 1950, it has been a dead-even tie, and if two people or films end up with an identical top vote count, they both win an Oscar. Even if three or even four nominees all received the same highest number of votes, they would all win. 

It has never happened since thousands are voting for the category, but the system allows it. The only category that cannot end in a tie is Best Picture because it uses a preferential voting system. Since ties are rare, the presenters are often shocked or confused about how to handle this on stage. 

One such moment was back in 1969 when Ingrid Bergman announced a rare tie for Best Actress between Katharine Hepburn (The Lion in Winter) and Barbra Streisand (Funny Girl), both earning 3,030 votes. Apart from that, there have been only four times in the Oscars' history to have a tie, with the recent one in 2013 when both Paul N.J. Ottosson (Zero Dark Thirty) and Per Hallberg and Karen Baker Landers (Skyfall) won for Sound Editing. Hence, for a tie to even happen, the ball is primarily in the court of the voters who meticulously selected.

Is There a Cash Prize for Winning an Oscar? What Else Does an Actor Recieve With an Academy Award?

The voting system for the Oscars is not as simple as it sounds. Even the process of becoming a voter in the Academy is not easy.

Members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, including actors, directors, costume designers, producers, technicians, and many others, vote for both the nominees and the winners. For nominations, members vote within their own branch. However, to even be eligible for membership in the Academy, a person must be sponsored by at least two existing members from that same branch.

Another way to become a member of the Academy is by winning an Academy Award. So, nominations are determined by thousands of selected professionals from across the film industry, and that number continues to grow each year. While this does not directly affect the likelihood of a tie, there is always a possibility that one could happen.

Is There a Dress Code for the Oscars 2026? Do Celebrities Even Follow It at the Academy Awards?

Do you think a tie is possible this year? Let us know in the comments.