Oscars History Tie Winners: 6 Rare Moments the Academy Split the Vote

In the 90-year history of the Academy Awards, ties are almost legendary for their rarity. While thousands of AMPAS members cast ballots, only six times has the envelope revealed a split decision, proving that even in Hollywood, lightning can strike twice in the same category.

The Rarity of Split Decisions: Oscars History Tie Winners

The first occurrence dates back to 1932 for Best Actor. Under old rules, a nominee within three votes of the winner shared the award. Fredric March had one more vote than Wallace Beery, but both took home gold. By 1950, the rules tightened, yet a tie still occurred in the Best Documentary Short category between 'A Chance to Live' and 'So Much for So Little'.

The most iconic tie happened in 1969 for Best Actress. Newcomer Barbra Streisand and veteran Katharine Hepburn each received exactly 3,030 votes. Streisand's famous "Hello, gorgeous" address to the statuette became an instant piece of Oscar lore, especially since Hepburn was not in attendance to share the spotlight.

Later decades saw ties in 1987 (Documentary Feature) and 1995 (Live Action Short). The most recent split occurred in 2013 for Best Sound Editing, where Skyfall and Zero Dark Thirty both triumphed. Presenter Mark Wahlberg had to assure the stunned audience, "No B.S., we have a tie."