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The Oscars only have time for two songs.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has confirmed that only two of this year’s best original song nominees will be performed live during the 98th Academy Awards on March 15, citing time constraints and broader structural changes to the telecast.
In a letter sent to all music nominees and obtained exclusively by Variety, the Academy emphasized that the best original song category will remain fully integrated into the broadcast, even as live performances are limited to “Golden” from the animated musical “KPop Demon Hunters” and “I Lied to You” from the vampire drama “Sinners.”
The remaining nominees in the category will not have their honored songs performed live. Those include 17-time nominee Diane Warren’s “Dear Me” from her documentary “Diane Warren: Relentless,” Nick Cave and Bryce Dessner’s title song from “Train Dreams” and “Sweet Dreams of Joy” by Nicholas Pike from “Viva Verdi!”
The letter was signed by executive producers Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan, along with producer Taryn Hurd.
The Academy declined to comment.
“This year, the best original song nominees are being treated with the same care, storytelling focus and intention as the other awards categories — all of which will be included on the show,” the letter reads.
According to the Academy, each nominated song will be introduced through a custom-produced segment built from footage of the film it was written for, with the goal of grounding each song in its cinematic context. Where appropriate, those packages may also incorporate behind-the-scenes material offering insight into the songwriting process and creative intent.
The producing team also noted that nominees will receive additional promotional support across its official social media platforms, pointing to recent Spotify collaborations and the nominations announcement as examples of that outreach.
According to sources familiar with the planning, staging live performances for all five best original song nominees would add approximately 25 minutes to the telecast — a significant chunk of time for a show that is contractually set to run three hours and 30 minutes. With 24 competitive categories to present, including the newly added casting Oscar, mounting five full musical numbers would inevitably come at the expense of other major moments already planned for the broadcast. This kind of runtime constraint will be eased once the Oscars transition off broadcast television and on YouTube beginning in 2029.
“Given the limited time within the broadcast, the addition of our casting Oscar and a desire to create a fast-paced, entertaining and cohesive show, the live performance focus will be concentrated on two musical moments this year, ‘Sinners’ and ‘KPop Demon Hunters,'” the letter states.
The performances will be framed as segments designed to honor how music helped those stories resonate worldwide. The remaining nominees will be recognized through the bespoke film-based packages rather than live musical numbers.
The letter closes by underscoring the Academy’s intent to honor all nominees on the broadcast. “Your work is an integral part of our cinematic ecosystem, and we so look forward to honoring it on the show.”
The 98th Academy Awards will air live March 15 and will be hosted by Conan O’Brien.
A copy of the letter is below.
This year, the Best Original Song nominees are being treated with the same care, storytelling focus and intention as the other awards categories — all of which will be included on the show.
Each nominated song will be introduced through a bespoke package built from footage of the film it was written for, grounding the song firmly in its cinematic purpose. Where appropriate, these packages may also include select behind-the-scenes elements that offer insight into the songwriting process and creative intent.
We will be in touch with you soon to discuss how we would like to work with you on this. In addition, we will be promoting your nomination on our social channels — as we recently did with our Spotify post and our nominations announcement.The show will also feature musical moments that celebrate two films whose songs played a defining role in their global cultural impact and audience connection this year. Given the limited time within the broadcast, the addition of our Casting Oscar, and a desire to create a fast-paced, entertaining and cohesive show, the live performance focus will be concentrated on two musical moments this year, Sinners and KPop Demon Hunters, with segments designed to honor how music helped these stories resonate worldwide.
Your work is an integral part of our cinematic ecosystem, and we look forward to honoring it on the show. This year’s Oscars is going to be incredible, and we are thrilled that you are a key part of it. These are complex decisions, so please feel free to call with any questions.
Best regards,
Raj Kapoor Executive Producer
Katy Mullan Executive Producer
Taryn Hurd Producer
English (US) ·