When the Oscars announced that this year’s nominees for best original song would not be performed on the telecast, but that there would instead be a single spot focused on the songwriters of those songs, some feared that music would get short shrift on the annual awards show, which airs Sunday, March 2, from the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood. Subsequent announcements have proved that this is not the case.
Six powerhouse women – Doja Cat, Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, LISA of BLACKPINK, Queen Latifah and RAYE – will perform on the telecast. The show also will feature a special appearance by the Los Angeles Master Chorale.
Erivo and Grande, who are both nominated for their roles in Wicked, are expected to open the telecast with one or more songs from that blockbuster musical. Queen Latifah is set to take part in a tribute to Quincy Jones, who died in November at age 91. Latifah, a longtime friend of the music and film titan, performed on two tracks on his 1995 album Q’s Jook Joint.
The other women are expected to participate in “performances celebrating the filmmaking community and some of its legends.”
“There are special moments that are planned and it’s about music, it’s about celebration, it’s about celebrating some really amazing pieces of film and even a Governor’s Award with Quincy Jones,” the show’s executive producer and showrunner Raj Kapoor said in a Zoom press conference with the creative team on Wednesday (Feb. 26). “The music performances are just really special and curated this year. And I think they speak to this year in film, and they also speak to icons and legends.”
But Kapoor didn’t want to divulge too much about the show. “I mean we absolutely love the element of surprise. What I can say is [that even with] every presenter and every performer that’s already been announced, there’s still more to come. There are people that are not going to be announced,” he teased. “You will have to keep a sharp eye out for a few different cameos that happen throughout the evening.”
Kapoor said the show will have a couple of themes. “One is that we are honoring the city of Los Angeles. … We really wanted to create some really beautiful moments on stage that celebrate this amazing city that we live in, all the amazing films that have been filmed here, and just have a really uplifting and beautiful message that we hope really touches everybody who watches the show.
Supervising choreographer Mandy Moore said they will aim to recapture some of the excitement of last year’s show-stopping Ryan Gosling performance of “I’m Just Ken.” “I can definitely say if you liked Kenergy, you’re going to love everything we’re doing this year because it’s in the same vein of joy and celebration.”
RAYE performed her song “Oscar Winning Tears,” from her album My 21st Century Blues, on the Grammy telecast on Feb. 2, where she was a best new artist nominee. Kapoor was an executive producer of that show as well.
Last year’s Oscar winners in the four acting categories – Cillian Murphy, Emma Stone, Robert Downey Jr. and Da’Vine Joy Randolph – were the first presenters announced for this year’s show.
Selena Gomez and Zoe Saldaña, two of the stars of Emilia Pérez; Ben Stiller; and Joe Alwyn, one of the stars of The Brutalist (though probably still best known as Taylor Swift’s ex) have since been added to the list of presenters. This will be Gomez’s first appearance on the Oscars stage. Other presenters range from 25-year-old starlet Lily-Rose Depp (daughter of Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis) to 95-year old character actress June Squibb.
Conan O’Brien will host the telecast for the first time. Nick Offerman will serve as announcer.
The 2025 Oscars will air live on ABC and stream live on Hulu on Sunday, March 2, at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, with the official live red carpet show airing at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT.
Here are the performers and presenters for the 2025 Oscars.
Performers
Doja Cat
Cynthia Erivo
Ariana Grande
LISA of Blackpink
Queen Latifah (Quincy Jones tribute)
RAYE
Presenters
Joe Alwyn
Dave Bautista
Halle Berry
Sterling K. Brown
Penélope Cruz
Willem Dafoe
Ana de Armas
Lily-Rose Depp
Robert Downey Jr.
Elle Fanning
Harrison Ford
Gal Gadot
Andrew Garfield
Whoopi Goldberg
Selena Gomez
Goldie Hawn
Samuel L. Jackson
Scarlett Johansson
John Lithgow
Cillian Murphy
Connie Nielsen
Amy Poehler
Margaret Qualley
Da’Vine Joy Randolph
Alba Rohrwacher
Zoe Saldaña
June Squibb
Ben Stiller
Emma Stone
Oprah Winfrey
Bowen Yang
Rachel Zegler
