Musical performances inspired by the films “Sinners” and the animated hit “KPop Demon Hunters” will be featured during the upcoming 98th Academy Awards ceremony, producers of the show announced Tuesday.
Songs from both films, which producers described as two of the year’s most influential cultural phenomena, will be performed live during the ceremony.
EJAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami, the singing voices behind the animated group HUNTR/X, are scheduled to perform the Oscar-nominated original song “Golden” from “KPop Demon Hunters.”
Miles Caton and Raphael Saadiq will perform the nominated song “I Lied To You” from “Sinners,” joined by Misty Copeland, Eric Gales, Buddy Guy, Brittany Howard, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Jayme Lawson, Li Jun Li, Bobby Rush, Shaboozey and Alice Smith.
“These show moments are more than just performances — they expand into cinematic tributes that celebrate the relationship between music and storytelling and why these films resonated so deeply with audiences around the world,” producers Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan said in a statement.
The “KPop Demon Hunters” segment will incorporate traditional Korean instrumentalists and dance inspired by the folklore that influenced the animated film, the producers said.
The “Sinners” segment will explore the role music plays in the film’s storytelling through a live stage tribute, according to Kapoor and Mullan.
The ceremony will also include appearances by Josh Groban and the Los Angeles Master Chorale.
The 98th Academy Awards, hosted by Conan O’Brien, will be presented Sunday at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.