The 2025 Oscars won’t feature live performances of the Best Original Songs nominees, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has revealed.
Instead, the show will recognize the songwriters through “personal reflections from the teams who bring these songs to life,” CEO Bill Kramer and President Janet Yang wrote in a letter sent to Academy members. “All of this, and more, will uncover the stories and inspiration behind this year’s nominees.”
This change will make room for the Academy’s plan to “honor Los Angeles as a city of dreams, showcasing its beauty and resilience” in the wake of the devastating wildfires “while highlighting the strength, creativity, and optimism” of Hollywood.
Nominees for this year’s Academy Awards won’t be announced until Thursday morning (January 23rd), but potential nominees on the shortlist for the Best Original Song include Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, Maren Morris, Saoirse Ronan, and Kneecap.
Not eligible in the category are any songs from the film adaptation of Wicked, due to the Academy Awards’ definition of an original song. Read our explainer for more details.
This will mark the first time that the Oscars won’t feature live performances of nominated songs since 2012, when “Man or Muppet” from The Muppets and “Real in Rio” from Rio competed in the category.
At the time, the ceremony was only the third instance of the Best Original Songs nominees not being performed. Now, it will be joined by this year’s telecast.
The Oscars are set to take place on March 2nd, and will be hosted by Conan O’Brien. For the first time, the show will simultaneously be livestreamed on Hulu (new users can sign up here) and aired on ABC.
