The Academy announced on Twitter that Jennifer Hudson will be performing “I’ll Fight,” a nominated song from the documentary RBG which focuses on the life of Supreme Court Justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Later, it tweeted that there will be a performance of “The Place Where Lost Things Go”— a featured song in Mary Poppins Returns. However, they did not reveal who will perform the song, saying it “will be performed by a surprise special guest”. “When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs for Wings” from The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, another nominated song, will be performed by Tim Blake Nelson and Willie Watson.
This comes after a decision to have only Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s “All the Stars” from Black Panther and Lady Gaga’s “Shallow” from A Star Is Born. The decision was made to keep the ceremony short, according to a report by Variety. But many believed having 2 out of the 5 nominated songs performed was insufficient for the ceremony. Mixed public feeling had arisen from the fact the Oscars did not have a host so people are hoping the announced performers will be secured for the event. The 91st Academy Awards airs on 5-9:30 p.m. PT on February 24, 2019.