Though whether she will from the tennis court in Compton where Venus and Serena Williams are believed to have trained in the early ’90s, as seen in the film “King Richard,” wasn’t confirmed by the Academy Tuesday night. That’s when the organization announced who would be singing the Best Original Song nominees at Sunday’s ceremony. Beyoncé will be performing “Be Alive” from “King Richard,” for which she is nominated alongside DIXSON. Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas will be performing their song nominee “No Time to Die” from the James Bond film of the same name. As will Sebastián Yatra for “Dos Oruguitas” from “Encanto” (for which writer Lin-Manuel Miranda would receive the award, if it wins). Meanwhile, perpetual Oscar underdog Diane Warren’s “Somehow You Do” from “Four Good Days” will be performed by Reba McEntire.
Of note, Van Morrison, nominated for “Down to Joy” from “Belfast,” is on tour and will not be able to attend the Oscars. Therefore that song won’t be performed at all. Academy Awards show producers Will Packer and Shayla Cowan previously announced March 18 that the live ceremony will feature an All-Star Band led by music director Adam Blackstone. The all-star band includes blink-182 drummer and “The Kardashians” star Travis Barker, percussionist and singer Sheila E., and genre-spanning pianist Robert Glasper. Additionally, DJ D-Nice, who kicked off virtual Club Quarantine parties amid the COVID-19 pandemic, will perform during the show as well as at the Governors Ball, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ official post-Oscars celebration. Academy producers will continue to announce musical guests and performances ahead of the ceremony next Sunday. The 2022 Oscars are hosted by Amy Schumer, Regina Hall, and Wanda Sykes. A-listers like Lady Gaga, Shawn Mendes, Simu Liu, and Samuel L. Jackson are slated to present. This year’s Oscars sparked debate after the Academy revealed eight categories will be pre-recorded ahead of the live ceremony to shorten the broadcast time. Academy president David Rubin announced that the wins for best documentary short, film editing, makeup and hairstyling, original score, production design, animated short, live-action short, and sound would take place outside of the live Dolby Theatre ceremony. Filmmakers James Cameron, Guillermo del Toro, John Williams, and Kathleen Kennedy were among industry insiders who penned an open letter calling for the Academy to reverse its “demeaning” decision. “To diminish any of those individual categories in the pursuit of ratings and short-term profits does irreparable damage to the Academy’s standing as impartial arbiters, responsible stewards of our industry’s most important awards,” the letter read. “Seeking new audiences by making the telecast more entertaining is a laudable and important goal, but this cannot be achieved by demeaning the very crafts that, in their most outstanding expressions, make the art of filmmaking worthy of celebration.”
The 94th Academy Awards will be held Sunday, March 27, at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood. The ceremony will be televised live on ABC at 8 p.m. EST / 5 p.m. PST. Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.
