The 98th Academy Awards, hosted by Conan O’Brien, will feature two onstage musical performances spotlighting leading Original Song Oscar nominees KPop Demon Hunters and Sinners, producers announced on Tuesday.
Executive producer and showrunner Raj Kapoor and executive producer Katy Mullan revealed that the singing voices behind Huntr/x — Ejae, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami — will perform the hit “Golden.” The KPop Demon Hunters moment will begin with a “fusion of traditional Korean instrumentalists and dance, celebrating the folklore and cultural inspiration” that anchors the story in Netflix’s animated blockbuster.
Meanwhile, the Sinners performance will include a larger homage to the record-breaking Ryan Coogler film and its singular visual style. Sinners star Miles Caton and songwriter Raphael Saadiq will perform the stirring “I Lied to You,” joined by ballet dancer Misty Copeland; musicians Eric Gales, Shaboozey, Brittany Howard, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Bobby Rush and Alice Smith; and co-stars Buddy Guy, Jayme Lawson and Li Jun Li.
“This year, our music performances are inspired by two of the most powerful cultural phenomena in film: Sinners, the most nominated film in Oscars history, and KPop Demon Hunters, a global pop culture sensation,” noted Kapoor and Mullan in a statement. “These show moments are more than just performances — they expand into cinematic tributes that celebrate the relationship between music and storytelling and why these films resonated so deeply with audiences around the world.”
Additionally, the show will include appearances by Josh Groban and the Los Angeles Master Chorale. Further talent will be announced in the lead-up to the ceremony. The Oscars will air live on ABC and stream live on Hulu on Sunday, March 15, beginning at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, with the official red carpet starting a half-hour earlier at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood.
