This isn’t going to go over well.
Variety reports that the final Oscars network broadcast will only have two featured performances for Best Song.
The remaining three will get feature packages with clips.
The two that will be spotlighted are the “Demon Hunters” song, “Golden,” and “I Lied to You” from the vampire drama, “Sinners,” featured Miles Caton.
Diane Warren’s “Dear Me” from her documentary “Diane Warren: Relentless,” Nick Cave and Bryce Dessner’s title song from “Train Dreams” and “Sweet Dreams of Joy” by Nicholas Pike from “Viva Verdi!” are all off the show.
Announcing this before voting concludes suggests the Academy is saying only one of the two live songs will win. The others have been minimized to mere nods.
Variety says a letter went to Academy voters from the show’s executive producers Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan, along with producer Taryn Hurd.
The letter reads: “This year, the best original song nominees are being treated with the same care, storytelling focus and intention as the other awards categories — all of which will be included on the show.”
The news broke around midnight last night West Coast time, so we don’t know the fallout yet.
This means we won’t see Kesha perform the Warren song, Nick Cave doing “Train Dreams,” or “Sweet Dreams of Joy,” which was actually recorded in 2017. The latter was an unexpected nominee, especially since new songs had been written for “Wicked: For Good.”
Excluding Warren’s song is really a snub considering she’s the only songwriter ever to receive a Governor’s Award aka Lifetime Achievement Award from the Academy.
The Oscars, on March 15th, will be the last shown on network television. After many decades, the show will move to You Tube next year from ABC.
to be continued…
