When the 98th Academy Awards arrive in 2026, the ceremony will have more than trophies on the line. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will be deciding whether to restore one of its most electric traditions: the live presentation of the Best Original Song nominees. After the 97th Academy Awards cut those musical moments from the telecast, many Oscar watchers assumed the change was temporary. The strength of the 2026 race makes that assumption feel less like speculation and more like a necessity.
The Best Original Song category has become a pop-culture battleground. Golden from KPop Demon Hunters has already turned into a genuine cultural touchstone, dominating radio playlists and earning a strong claim as the song of 2025. Two original numbers from Wicked: For Good, No Place Like Home and The Girl In The Bubble, offer the Academy a chance to celebrate the continued success of the musical adaptation. Meanwhile, Sinners features I Lied To You, a soulful sequence that has become one of the film's most discussed moments. Even beyond those frontrunners, the list is unusually deep:
| Song | Film | Why It Stands Out |
|---|---|---|
| Golden | KPop Demon Hunters | Radio fixture and 2025 cultural phenomenon |
| No Place Like Home | Wicked: For Good | Celebrates the blockbuster musical |
| The Girl In The Bubble | Wicked: For Good | Another showstopper from the adaptation |
| I Lied To You | Sinners | A soulful highlight sequence |
| Highest 2 Lowest | Highest 2 Lowest | Aiyana-Lee in Spike Lee's film |
| Dream As One | Avatar: Fire and Ash | Miley Cyrus adds major star power |
| Dear Me | Diane Warren: Relentless | A veteran songwriter in a tight field |
That depth is exactly why the Academy cannot afford to repeat last year's mistake. At the 97th Academy Awards, the usual live performances were removed from the broadcast. Instead, the show aired clips focused on the songwriters and creative teams behind the nominated works. While the decision offered some overdue attention to behind-the-scenes figures, it stripped the ceremony of its most consistently exciting musical energy.
The Best Original Song performances have long been among the most memorable moments of any Oscar night. Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper delivered an intimate duet from A Star Is Born that became a defining image of that ceremony. Ryan Gosling's bombastic Barbie number turned a stage into a neon spectacle and gave the broadcast one of its most viral moments. Those live performances do more than entertain; they provide a rhythmic break from the night's speeches, montages, and award presentations. They also remind viewers why music can shape a film's emotional identity.
The previous ceremony attempted to maintain some musical spirit with tributes to The Wizard of Oz, and Coleman Domingo's passionate response to Queen Latifah's The Wiz performance stood out as a burst of genuine joy. Yet the absence of the nominated songs still felt like a hole in the evening. The Academy had a commendable reason for trimming time: the ceremony wanted to honor the firefighters and first responders who dealt with the wildfires that devastated parts of Los Angeles. But the cost was the loss of live performances that often carry the broadcast's most unpredictable, human moments.
In 2026, the category carries enormous crossover potential. Sinners and KPop Demon Hunters became commercial and cultural hits, and Wicked: For Good arrives with a built-in global fanbase. Bringing these songs to the stage would give casual viewers a reason to tune in and stay through the night. The performances also showcase emerging and established talent alike. Young voices such as Ejae, Audrey Nuna, Rei Ami, and Miles Canton could share the stage with stars like Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, and Miley Cyrus, creating multigenerational moments that no clip package can replicate.
The live musical performances remain one of the few spaces where the Oscars feel openly vulnerable. In a ceremony that is largely rehearsed and polished, a singer stepping to the microphone carries real risk and real reward. The crowd's natural response and the performer's passion often produce the most emotionally stirring moments of the night. That spontaneous energy is not a distraction from the filmmaking celebration; it is central to it.
As the 98th Academy Awards approach, the decision should be simple. The Best Original Song lineup is too strong, too culturally present, and too full of potential spectacle to be reduced to soundbites. The Academy needs to bring the live performances back. Anything less would repeat a misstep from the previous year and waste one of the most powerful tools the ceremony has to connect with audiences.