Queen Latifah joins the list of performers for the upcoming 97th Academy Awards on Sunday, March 2.
Queen Latifah will perform on Quincy Jones’ songs at the Oscars. (Photo Credits: Instagram)
Musical powerhouse Queen Latifah is all set to perform at the 2025 Oscars on Sunday, March 2, at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood. As a part of her performance, Queen Latifah will pay tribute to her longtime friend and music legend Quincy Jones by performing on two tracks from his 1995 album, Q’s Jook Joint. The news was announced by executive producer and showrunner Raj Kapoor on Wednesday during a press conference with the creative team.
“One of the most exciting things I think that we’ve worked on this year is a musical performance that will tribute Quincy Jones,” he said as a part of the Oscars creative team. Mentioning that Jones was the recipient of the Academy’s Governors Awards, he stated that the plan has been curated to “uplift the room and celebrate the spirit of Quincy and his greatness.”
Quincy Jones, who passed away in November last year, scripted Oscars history multiple times. From being the first Black musician to be hired as a music director on the annual Oscar telecast to becoming the first Black composer to receive an Oscar nomination, the special tribute for the late producer-musician comes as a respectful gesture towards his rich legacy.
In the meantime, artists like Doja Cat, Ariana Grande, BLACKPINK’s Lisa and Raye, are also set to grace the Oscars stage this Sunday, followed by a special appearance by the Los Angeles Master Chorale. Grande, alongside Cynthia Erivo, has been nominated for their roles in Wicked, thus likely to open the show with their songs from the film. Speaking about her performance, Kapoor during the press conference teased about a special moment at the Oscars this year. “We can’t reveal what it is or where it is, but I think for any fans of Cynthia Erivo, you’re going to get something that is hugely entertaining and full of joy and really celebrates her, her incredible talent, and her place in the last year in music and in cinema,” he added.
Others on the slate are expected to take part in “performances celebrating the filmmaking community and some of its legends.” With the nominations out now, Conan O’Brien is set to host the 97th Academy Awards. Nominees also gathered for the annual Oscars class photo at the Academy Museum on Tuesday night. While Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Zoe Saldana, Mikey Madison and Isabella Rossellini take on the front rows, the likes of Timothée Chalamet, Denis Villeneuve, Adrien Brody, Sean Baker, Demi Moore and others were seated in the other rows.
