Why you won't see performances of original song nominees at 2025 Oscars

For decades, the Oscars’ archetypal opus performances person provided immoderate of the ceremony’s astir unforgettable moments. Think Celine Dion belting retired “My Heart Will Go On,” Three 6 Mafia’s raucous “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp,” Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper locking eyes during “Shallow” or, astir recently, past year’s show-stopping Barbie spectacle of “I’m Just Ken.”

Alas, not this year.

In a interruption from contented stretching backmost to 1946, tonight’s telecast volition forgo unrecorded performances of the nominated songs: “Never Too Late” from “Elton John: Never Too Late,” “Like a Bird” from “Sing Sing,” “The Journey” from “The Six Triple Eight” and “El Mal” and “Mi Camino” from “Emilia Pérez.” Instead, nominees volition beryllium featured successful prerecorded segments successful which the songwriters bespeak connected their work.

In a missive to academy members past month, CEO Bill Kramer and President Janet Yang explained, “We volition observe their artistry done idiosyncratic reflections from the teams who bring these songs to life.”

This isn’t the archetypal clip the amusement — perennially nether unit to trim its often bloated runtime — has dispensed with the archetypal opus performances. The class besides was sidelined successful 1989, 2010 and 2012. Still, the omission has struck a mendacious enactment with galore successful the euphony industry, not to notation die-hard Oscar fans.

In a January missive to the academy’s leadership, the Society of Composers & Lyricists — whose 4,000-plus rank includes the bulk of the academy’s euphony branch, arsenic good arsenic each of this year’s nominated songwriters — urged the academy to reconsider. SCL president Ashley Irwin blasted the determination arsenic “just different illustration of the devaluation of euphony and its creators,” arguing that successful the aftermath of the devastating Los Angeles fires, the inclusion of the songs was much important than ever. “Music has the powerfulness to animate and heal — a connection reflected successful the Oscar-nominated songs.”

That’s not to accidental the amusement volition beryllium music-free. The Oscar-nominated stars of “Wicked,” Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, are expected to perform, though the film’s songs were ineligible for Oscar information owed to their Broadway origins. Doja Cat, Lisa of Blackpink and Raye besides are acceptable to instrumentality the signifier during the telecast, on with the Los Angeles Master Chorale.

There volition beryllium a peculiar philharmonic tribute to the precocious Quincy Jones, a recipient of the academy’s Governors Award, that volition diagnostic Queen Latifah. In a property league earlier this week, Oscars co-producer Raj Kapoor teased, “We planned and curated a beauteous infinitesimal that volition uplift the country and observe his greatness. ... You request to tune successful Sunday to spot what we person successful store. It’s a beauteous infinitesimal and volition person everyone feeling good.”