There will be a surprising change at the Oscars on March 3, 2025. For the first time in many years there will be no live performance in the category “Best Original Song” nominated pieces. The Academy announced this on Thursday (January 23) shortly before the nominees were announced.
Instead, the songwriters will be recognized through “personal reflections from the teams who bring these songs to life,” said a message to all Academy members. “All this and more will tell the stories and inspiration behind this year’s nominees.”
Oscars want to honor Los Angeles
The main reason for the surprising change, which also means the cancellation of potential show highlights, is the organizers’ desire to honor Los Angeles in the face of the fire disaster of the last few weeks.
In concrete terms, this probably means that not only one recording commemorates the destructive fires, but the entire award ceremony becomes a kind of homage to the city of dreams. This is probably intended to showcase Hollywood’s optimism.
The Oscar nominees for best film songs will be announced shortly. The shortlist includes Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, Maren Morris, Saoirse Ronan and Kneecap.