Blues stars to perform at the Oscars

Blues will take center stage at the 98th Academy Awards this Sunday, March 15, as several of the genre’s most celebrated artists are set to appear during a special performance tied to one of the year’s most talked-about films.

Executive producer and showrunner Raj Kapoor and executive producer Katy Mullan announced the lineup for the ceremony, which will air live on ABC and stream on Hulu beginning at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, with the official red carpet show starting at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT. Hosted by Conan O’Brien, the ceremony will take place at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood.

While the broadcast will feature several musical moments, blues fans will have plenty of reason to tune in thanks to the performance built around the Oscar-nominated original song “I Lied To You” from the film Sinners. The film leads all nominees this year with 16 nominations, making it the most nominated film in Oscars history.

Miles Caton and Raphael Saadiq will perform the song during the ceremony, joined by a powerful lineup that includes blues legends and modern torchbearers such as Buddy Guy, Eric Gales, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram and Bobby Rush. The performance will also feature Brittany Howard, Shaboozey and Alice Smith, alongside appearances by Misty Copeland, Jayme Lawson and Li Jun Li.

The performance is expected to serve as a cinematic tribute reflecting the role music plays in the storytelling of Sinners, bringing together multiple generations of blues and roots artists on one of the world’s biggest stages.

Eric Gales shared his excitement about participating in the performance on social media.

Christone “Kingfish” Ingram also reflected on the significance of the moment, writing, “Truly an honor to be invited to join this stage with so many wonderful musicians. This one’s for the wonderful Sinners team and for the blues community.”

Meanwhile, blues legend Bobby Rush will also be making his Oscars debut as part of the performance.

The appearance of artists such as Guy, Rush, Gales, and Kingfish represents a rare moment for the blues at the Academy Awards, bringing some of the genre’s most influential voices to one of entertainment’s most visible global stages.

The 98th Oscars will be broadcast live Sunday, March 15 on ABC and streamed on Hulu.