The Oscars celebrate cinema, but it’s clear that sound – and particularly the music – is crucial to a film’s success. A powerful movie deserves a fitting score, and when the music doesn’t match the tone, it really impacts the overall experience. Simply put, music makes a difference.
One downside of the Oscars recently is that not all of the Best Original Song nominees perform during the show anymore. In 2026, only two songs will be performed, although organizers have said these performances will be grand and meaningful.
The show will definitely include musical performances, featuring Josh Groban and the Los Angeles Master Chorale. It’s likely they’ll perform during the In Memoriam segment, which has been criticized lately for focusing too much on the performers themselves and not enough on honoring those who have passed away. Hopefully, this year’s segment will be more respectful and moving.
What you need to know about the music involved in the 2026 Academy Awards ceremony
The film’s two original songs are definitely good enough for this occasion, and the music as a whole showcases the variety within the movie industry.
98th Oscars music performers:
- HUNTR/X (EJAE, AUDREY NUNA, and REI AMI) will perform “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters
- Miles Caton, Raphael Saadiq, Misty Copeland, Eric Gales, Buddy Guy, Brittany Howard, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Jayme Lawson, Li Jun Li, Bobby Rush, Shaboozey, and Alice Smith will perform “I Lied to You” from Sinners
- Josh Groban and the Los Angeles Master Chorale
Best Original Song nominees for 2026:
- “Dear Me” from Diane Warren: Relentless – Music and lyrics by Diane Warren (performed by Kesha)
- “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters – Music and lyrics by EJAE, Mark Sonnenblick, Joong Gyu Kwak, Yu Han Lee, Hee Dong Nam, Jeong Hoon Seo, and Teddy Park
- “I Lied to You” from Sinners – Music and lyrics by Raphael Saadiq and Ludwig Goransson
- “Sweet Dreams of Joy” from Viva Verdi! – Music and lyrics by Nicholas Pike
- “Train Dreams” from Train Dreams – Music by Nick Cave and Bryce Dessner; Lyrics by Nick Cave
Best Original Score nominees for 2026:
- Jerskin Fendrix for Bugonia
- Alexandre Desplat for Frankenstein
- Max Richter for Hamnet
- Jonny Greenwood for One Battle After Another
- Ludwig Goransson for Sinners
The awards show will take place on Sunday, March 15th, starting at 7 p.m. Eastern Time. Conan O’Brien is returning to host for the second year in a row – he did a fantastic job in 2025! – and Matt Berry will be announcing, promising some laughs. You can watch the show on ABC and stream it on Hulu. The red carpet will begin at 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time, also available on both ABC and Hulu.
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2026-03-12 19:00