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Pop Culture Trends

Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Doja Cat, more

The world of entertainment is gearing up for its most glorious gala, the sensational celebration of film excellence that is the Oscars.

Beyond the glamour of the red carpet and the excitement around who’ll take home trophies, each year brings a stellar lineup of performances. Historically, these performances have often been culled from the Best Original Song nominees: Lady Gaga sings in A Star is Born; Lady Gaga will sing at the Academy Awards when A Star is Born is nominated.

This year things are going to be a bit different. The artists behind the Oscar-nominated songs from Emilia Pérez, The Six Triple Eight, Sing Sing, and Elton John: Never Too Late will not be performing their original compositions. Instead, the ceremony will devote time to “highlighting the strength, creativity, and optimism that defines Los Angeles and our industry” in light of the recent wildfires that devastated major swaths of the city.

But don’t fret, music lovers, the Academy has since announced that some big names in music will, in fact, be performing on Oscars Sunday. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, who star in the big-screen adaptation of Broadway’s Wicked, are among the scheduled performers.

So are rapper Doja Cat, British soul and R&B signer Raye, and Lisa of Blackpink, the three of whom recently collaborated on the disco-pop single “Born Again.” American icon Queen Latifah, and the Los Angeles Master Chorale are the artists slated for the big day.

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It may seem odd that the evening’s acts include the stars of a musical whose songs aren’t nominated (as the Wicked songbook is over two decades old, none of the music is eligible for nomination) and other musicians who have no affiliation with the nominated films, or any recently-released films for that matter. Although reps for the Academy won’t confirm what any of the performers will be doing, Oscars music director Michael Bearden teased the Wicked stars potentially performing a song from the blockbuster film. “Any time you see those two together, you have to expect something,” he said on Good Morning America, also revealing the ceremony will honor late producer and 2025 honorary Oscar awardee Quincy Jones, who died in November.

Curious viewers will just have to tune in to the Oscars telecast this Sunday, March 2, which airs at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on ABC and streaming on Hulu, following an official red carpet presentation beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT.

Cynthia Erivo

Cynthia Erivo at the Academy Museum in 2024.

Amy Sussman/Getty


Cynthia Erivo may not technically be nominated for a Song Oscar, but her full-throated performance as Elphaba Thropp won her a nomination for Best Actress. She’s already been nominated once before, in 2017 for her titular role in the Harriet Tubman biopic Harriet. If she does finally take home the gold, she’ll also have earned herself an EGOT.

Ariana Grande

Ariana Grande at the ‘Wicked’ premiere in 2024.

WireImage


Ariana Grande will celebrate her first Academy Award nomination this Sunday, when she competes against the likes of Monica Barbaro, Felicity Jones, Isabella Rossellini, and frontrunner Zoe Saldaña for Best Supporting Actress. Wicked was also nominated for Best Picture, Best Film Editing, Best Production Design, Best Costume Deisgn, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Original Score, Best Visual Effects, and Best Sound.

Queen Latifah

Queen Latifah at the Governor’s Ball afterparty in 2022.
VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images

Award-winning actress and musician Queen Latifah hasn’t appeared in a film since 2022, when she starred in the Netflix crime film End of the Road, the Adam Sandler dramedy Hustle, and the fantasy drama The Tiger Rising. Latifah was previously nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Matron “Mama” Morton in 2002’s Chicago, an accolade she lost to costar Catherine Zeta-Jones.

Doja Cat

Doja Cat at Coachella in 2024.

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Coachella


Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini, known by her stage name Doja Cat, spent much of the last year touring, promoting, and releasing new material related to her 2023 album Scarlet. Doja has no history with the Academy Awards, though there was minor outcry when her song “Vegas,” penned for the 2023 biopic Elvis, was deemed ineligible for a nomination despite taking over the charts, because it interpolated the already-released Presley classic “Hound Dog.”

Raye

Raye in 2024.

Emma McIntyre/Getty 


Raye is a relative newcomer compared to the previous performers, having released her debut album My 21st Century Blues in only 2023. Aside from two Grammy nominations (she lost Best New Artist to Chappell Roan), the London-born singer, whose singular sound fuses jazz, soul, dance, pop, and R&B, has a limited history with the major awards shows, and none with the Oscars.

Lisa

Lisa at Kukje Gallery in 2023.

Han Myung-Gu/WireImage


K-pop girl group sensation Blackpink has been a staple of global pop since the band’s formation in 2016. But Thai breakout star Lalisa “Lisa” Manobal is a relatively fresh face as a solo artist. Following several Blackpink documentaries and even a variety show, Lisa made her solo acting debut in the current season of The White Lotus, as the health mentor Thidapon “Mook” Sornsin.

The Los Angeles Master Chorale

The Los Angeles Master Chorale in 2014.

Lawrence K. Ho/Los Angeles Times via Getty


The Los Angeles Master Chorale is a resident company of city’s two most prominent musical institutions, The Music Center and Walt Disney Concert Hall. The professional chorus, under the leadership of music director Grant Gershon, will perform at the 97th annual Academy Awards.

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