The 98th Academy Awards is shaping up to deliver one of the most memorable musical moments in recent ceremony history, and it has nothing to do with a traditional Hollywood production number. This year, the Oscars stage will be transformed into something far more electric as a sweeping tribute to Ryan Coogler’s Sinners takes center stage, bringing together a remarkable collection of musicians, dancers, and performers for what promises to be a once-in-a-night experience. For fans of the film, the anticipation is already running at a fever pitch.
Who is performing
The centerpiece of the tribute will be a live performance of the Oscar-nominated song “I Lied to You,” led by Miles Caton and Raphael Saadiq, two of the film’s most musically significant contributors. But the lineup does not stop there. Joining them on stage will be Shaboozey, the country-influenced artist who has had one of the biggest musical years in recent memory, alongside blues legend Buddy Guy, whose decades-long career has made him one of the most respected names in American music. Rock and soul powerhouse Brittany Howard will also take the stage, adding her unmistakable vocal force to the ensemble. Rounding out the performance is celebrated ballet dancer Misty Copeland, whose presence signals that the tribute will be as visually arresting as it is musically rich. Additional performers are also expected to join the ensemble, though full details have yet to be confirmed.
Why this performance matters
Sinners arrived in theaters as one of the most culturally resonant films of the year, weaving together themes of Black American history, music, folklore, and identity in a way that felt both deeply personal and universally compelling. Ryan Coogler, who has built a career on telling stories that matter, delivered a film that sparked widespread conversation far beyond the typical awards season discourse. Its music, in particular, became a central talking point, with “I Lied to You” earning its Oscar nomination on the strength of both its songwriting and its emotional placement within the story.
The movie’s musical DNA
One of the most celebrated sequences in Sinners is its extended musical montage, a breathtaking stretch of the film in which the power of music is depicted as something almost supernatural, summoning spirits, bridging generations, and connecting the living to those long gone. It is a scene that left audiences speechless in theaters and has continued to be discussed as one of the finest cinematic moments of the past several years. The Oscars tribute appears to be drawing direct inspiration from that sequence, assembling artists from across genres and generations in a way that mirrors the film’s own vision of music as a unifying, transcendent force.
What to expect on Oscar night
With Caton’s raw vocal talent, Saadiq’s musical craftsmanship, Howard’s intensity, Guy’s blues authority, Shaboozey’s genre-blending appeal, and Copeland’s physical artistry all converging in a single performance, the result is likely to be one of the most talked-about moments of the entire broadcast. The 98th Academy Awards airs later this month, and if this tribute lands the way it appears it might, it could become the defining image of the night.
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