Judah Kelly’s ‘The Singers’ Claims Rare Academy Award Victory

In a career turn that few could have predicted, Judah Kelly, the country-soul powerhouse who won The Voice Australia in 2017, is now an Academy Award winner.

Kelly stars in the musical comedy short film The Singers, which took home the Oscar for Best Live Action Short at the 98th Academy Awards on Sunday night. The win was part of a historic moment at the ceremony: a rare tie with the French-language drama Two People Exchanging Saliva.

A Viral Discovery

Directed by filmmaker Sam Davis, The Singers is an 18-minute adaptation of an 1850 Ivan Turgenev story. Set in a rundown dive bar, the film follows a group of patrons who break into a spontaneous, high-stakes singing competition.

Rather than casting traditional actors, Davis spent months scouring the internet for “authentic voices.” He discovered Kelly’s viral performances and reached out via email.

“At first they emailed me to ask me to be in the film and I don’t act, so I thought it was just a scam,” Kelly admitted in a recent interview. “It turned out they did want us for a film—it’s about men and vulnerability.”

A Historic Night

The category’s tie marked only the seventh time in the Academy’s 98-year history that two winners shared a single award (the first since 2013). Presenter Kumail Nanjiani broke the news to a shocked audience, joking, “Ironic that the short film Oscar is going to take twice as long.”

Kelly, clearly moved by the victory, took to social media to celebrate in his signature style:

Instagram: “We don’t even know how to act! Our film just won an Oscar! I’M GOING TO MOVIE WORLD or whatever they say.”
Facebook: “You can’t tell me NOTHING!”