The 2025 Academy Awards, honoring the best in film for the past year, took place on Sunday. While the ceremony focused on celebrating filmmaking and some of its legends, music fans were left disappointed as none of this year’s five nominated song performers took to the stage.
Instead, the show kicked off with a medley from “The Wizard of Oz,” “The Wiz” musical, performed by co-stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. The duo opened the ceremony with songs from their Oscar-nominated film, including “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and “Home.” They were later joined by the Los Angeles Master Chorale in a memorable performance during the In Memoriam segment.
The Academy also paid tribute to the James Bond franchise, honoring producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, who received Honorary Oscars. A medley of iconic Bond theme songs was performed by Blackpink’s LISA, Doja Cat, RAYE, and others, including a special tribute to late composer Quincy Jones.
In the In Memoriam segment, Morgan Freeman introduced a performance of Mozart’s “Requiem” for actor Gene Hackman, who passed away last week at 95. The ceremony also honored other film legends who died in the past year, including Maggie Smith, Gena Rowlands, and James Earl Jones.
Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/oscars-performances-2025