Society of Composers & Lyricists Asks Academy To Restore Best Original Song Performances to the 2025 Oscars

Earlier this month, BroadwayWorld reported that the 2025 Academy Awards telecast will not feature performances from the Best Original Song nominees.

As first reported by journalist Matt Belloni, this 2025 telecast will forego its usual tradition of featuring each of the nominated songs in short performances and will instead opt to spotlight the creative teams behind the songs.

Now, The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that the President of The Society of Composers & Lyricists has penned an open letter to the the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to restore the performances.

In the letter, SCL president Ashley Irwin expressed the organization’s disappointment into the decision, calling it “just another example of the devaluation of music, and its creators”.

She writes, "With the quality of the talent assembled to produce The Oscars, there must be a way to accommodate even abbreviated renditions of the nominated songs during the show. I respectfully urge you to reconsider your decision and let the songs provide the hope and inspiration to the audience that they do in their respective films."

The move to eliminate the performances was announced in an email communication from Academy CEO Bill Kramer and President Janet Yang to Academy members. They wrote, “We will celebrate their artistry through personal reflections from the teams who bring these songs to life...All of this, and more, will uncover the stories and inspiration behind this year’s nominees.” 

A number of musicals and music-focused films are in consideration this awards season including Wicked, the Spanish-language indie musical, Emilia Perez, and the Bob Dylan biopic, A Complete Unknown. 

The 97th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 2, at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood and will be televised live on ABC and in more than 200 territories worldwide.

Read the full story at The Hollywood Reporter.

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