Hope the seagulls have been working with their scream coach, because at least one of this year’s Best Original Song nominees will be needing them for back-up vocals, alongside the mountains and the whales. The Academy announced on Friday that all of this year’s nominated songs will be performed in their entirety during Oscars: Into the Spotlight, the special directly preceding the 93rd Academy Awards, with Molly Sandén singing “Husavik†from Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga all the way from HúsavÃk, Iceland, itself.
Celeste and Daniel Pemberton, Diane Warren and Laura Pausini, H.E.R, and Leslie Odom Jr. will perform the other four nominated songs at Los Angeles’s Dolby Family Terrace of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, including “Hear My Voice†from The Trial of the Chicago 7, “Io Sì (Seen)†from The Life Ahead, “Fight for You†from Judas and the Black Messiah, and “Speak Now†from One Night in Miami…
Hosted by Hamilton’s Ariana DeBose and Bad Trip’s Lil Rel Howery, Oscars: Into the Spotlight will reportedly “highlight the nominees’ journey to Hollywood’s biggest night, give fans around the world the ultimate insiders’ sneak peek to the party, and, for the first time, bring Oscar music to the festivities.†The 90-minute special kicks off Sunday, April 25, at 6:30 ET/3:30 p.m. PT, with the Oscars to follow at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT, all on ABC.
And if that wasn’t enough pomp and circumstance for you, this year’s Oscars will also be followed by a special, titled Oscars: After Dark, hosted by Zola’s Colman Domingo and The Prom’s Andrew Rannells, who will provide some postgame analysis of the festivities. After Dark apparently “showcases Oscars winners as they have their statuettes personalized†and “recaps the evening’s must-see moments.†But … but that’s our job! Just kidding. Come Oscar Sunday, that’s all of our jobs.