The Oscars stage transforms into live juke joint with “Sinners” performance

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The Academy Awards show on Sunday night felt like a lively music club, mixing classic songs with today’s hits during the 98th annual ceremony.

In the film “Sinners,” Miles Caton and Raphael Saadiq collaborated on a performance of “I Lied to You,” which is a key musical moment. Caton portrays the son of a preacher who jeopardizes his faith by pursuing a career in blues music.

The performance included several guest artists as a tribute to the film’s unique look and feel, according to an announcement from the academy. Blues guitarist Buddy Guy, who portrayed an older version of the character Caton in the film, joined actors Jayme Lawson and Li Jun Li, who played roles in “Sinners,” on stage.

Sammie, a new blues artist, wrote the song as a personal confession to his father, who is a pastor. His performance was so energetic and moving, it felt like the whole venue was ignited.

Break dancers performed on stage while rapper Shaboozey sang alongside Caton, who played a guitar like the one his character used in the film.

The stars of the vampire movie – Jack O’Connell, Lola Kirke, and Peter Dreimanis – surprised the audience by appearing on stage.

The performance also featured ballet dancer Misty Copeland, alongside guitarists Eric Gales and Christone Ingram. Brittany Howard, Bobby Rush, and Alice Smith all contributed musical performances as well.

This song is one of just two original song nominees that will be performed live at the ceremony. The group Huntr/x, from the Netflix series “KPop Demon Hunters,” will also perform their popular song, “Golden.” The film had already won an Oscar for best animated feature earlier in the evening.

Throughout the show, musicians from different generations of Black music surround Sammie, creating a moment composer Ludwig Göransson described as feeling like “time and space disappear,” much like a well-known scene in a film.

The movie “Sinners” achieved a record-breaking 16 Oscar nominations, including a nomination for Best Picture. It also performed incredibly well in theaters, earning $45.6 million during its opening weekend and a total of $369.3 million so far.

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2026-03-16 03:31