This long awards season will come to an end on Sunday (March 10) when the 96th Oscars are presented at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood. Oppenheimer is expected to be the night’s big winner, with eight or so awards. Barbie didn’t get as much awards season love as expected, but it is likely to finish second on the night with two Oscars. No other film is expected to win more than one award, though there are often surprises.
All five nominated songs will be performed on the show. Billie Eilish and Finneas will perform “What Was I Made For?,” which is expected to win best original song. It will be third Oscar performance in five years. They sang The Beatles’ poignant “Yesterday” as the In Memoriam song four years ago and their nominated “No Time to Die” two years ago. (That James Bond song went on to win the award).
Becky G will perform “The Fire Inside” from Flamin’ Hot. It will be her second performance, but her first in the solo spotlight. She was one of eight artists featured on “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” from Encanto two years ago. That song wasn’t nominated, but it was a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 for five consecutive weeks, so Oscar producers booked the performance anyway. (They’re no dummies.)
Ryan Gosling is set to perform “I’m Just Ken” from Barbie in tandem with the song’s co-writer, Mark Ronson. It will be Gosling’s first Oscar performance. He and Emma Stone declined to perform the nominated “City of Stars” from La La Land (the eventual winner) seven years ago.
If it seems like the presenters list is especially long this year, and includes an oddly high percentage of past Oscar winners, you’re on to something. The Oscars will revive a presentation tactic last used 15 years ago in which five former winners in each of the four acting categories will individually pay tribute to this year’s nominees and then award this year’s winners, in effect welcoming them to the club.
Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, the stars of the upcoming Wicked, were both announced as presenters. It would not be a surprise if they did something together.
The Oscars have not yet announced who will perform in the In Memoriam spot.
Hosted by Jimmy Kimmel for the fourth time, the 96th Oscars will air live on ABC and broadcast outlets worldwide on Sunday, March 10 at the new, earlier time of 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.
Raj Kapoor is executive producer and showrunner. Molly McNearney and Katy Mullan are also executive producers. Hamish Hamilton is directing the show. Rickey Minor is music director.
Here are the performers and presenters who have been announced for the 2024 Oscars.
Performers
Ryan Gosling with Mark Ronson, “I’m Just Ken” from Barbie
Billie Eilish with Finneas, “What Was I Made For?” from Barbie
Jon Batiste, “It Never Went Away” from American Symphony
Becky G, “The Fire Inside” from Flamin’ Hot
Scott George with The Osage Singers, “Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People)” from Killers of the Flower Moon
Presenters
Mahershala Ali
Emily Blunt
Bad Bunny
Nicolas Cage
Jamie Lee Curtis
Cynthia Erivo
America Ferrera
Sally Field
Brendan Fraser
Ryan Gosling
Ariana Grande
Chris Hemsworth
Dwayne Johnson
Michael Keaton
Regina King
Ben Kingsley
Jessica Lange
Jennifer Lawrence
Melissa McCarthy
Matthew McConaughey
Kate McKinnon
Rita Moreno
John Mulaney
Lupita Nyong’o
Catherine O’Hara
Al Pacino
Michelle Pfeiffer
Ke Huy Quan
Issa Rae
Tim Robbins
Sam Rockwell
Octavia Spencer
Steven Spielberg
Mary Steenburgen
Anya Taylor-Joy
Charlize Theron
Christoph Waltz
Forest Whitaker
Michelle Yeoh
Ramy Youssef
Zendaya
