The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences announced a major change to its upcoming 97th Academy Awards ceremony - the traditional live performances of Best Original Song nominees will not take place this year.
In a letter to Academy members, CEO Bill Kramer and President Janet Yang revealed that instead of live performances, the ceremony will focus on celebrating the songwriters through personal reflections and behind-the-scenes stories from the creative teams.
This marks a notable departure from the Oscars' long-standing tradition of featuring live performances of nominated songs. The decision draws parallels to the 1981 Grammy Awards, where songwriters performed stripped-down versions of their nominated works while sharing the stories behind their creations.
Among the likely impacted nominees are songs from "Emilia Pérez," including "Mi Camino" performed by Selena Gomez and "El Mal" performed by Zoe Saldaña and Karla Sofía Gascón. Other potential nominees include tracks from "Challengers," "Elton John: Never Too Late," and "The Wild Robot."
The ceremony, hosted by Conan O'Brien, will also feature the return of the popular "Fab 5" segments, where previous winners celebrate current nominees in major categories. Additionally, the show plans to pay tribute to Los Angeles in light of recent devastating wildfires, highlighting the city's strength and resilience.
The 97th Academy Awards will air on Sunday, March 2, on ABC and Hulu, with red carpet coverage beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT, followed by the main ceremony at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.