Get Pumped For The Star-Studded Performances Planned For The 2019 Oscars

It’s almost time for the granddaddy of all awards shows: the 2019 Oscars. And though this is a show that’s ostensibly about celebrating acting rather than singing, there are still some pretty impressive music numbers scheduled. So, who is performing at the 2019 Oscars? The musical numbers won’t be many, but they will be memorable.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences almost made a really poor decision to only allow two of the five original nominated songs be performed this year, according to Vulture, citing time constraints. In late January, it was announced that the most well-known of the songs — “All the Stars” from Black Panther and “Shallow” from A Star Is Born — would be the only ones the audience got to enjoy. Apparently doing away with a host opened things up a bit, however, because organizers soon reversed that decision and announced that four of the five nominated songs will get their moment on the coveted stage.

The big moment that many fans are waiting for is “Shallow,” which will be performed by co-stars Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, according to Harper's Bazaar. Cooper told Stephen Colbert that while he will be singing, he won’t be in character as the film’s Jackson Maine. “He’s gone. I’m not gonna try to get him back. But it will be me singing," he said.

"Shallow," which was written by Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando and Andrew Wyatt, according to Oscars.com, is considered by many to be the one to beat in the category. So far it’s won Golden Globe and Critics Choice awards, along with a Grammy.

Jennifer Hudson is another big name that will grace the Oscars' stage, performing the song “I’ll Fight” from RBG, according to the Academy. The song was written by powerhouse songwriter Diane Warren who received her 10th Oscar nomination this year.

On Feb. 16, Bette Midler made the announcement on her social media that she is joining the performance lineup with “The Place Where Lost Things Go.” The song is nominated from Mary Poppins Returns.

The song was written by nominees Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, according to Oscar.com, and was performed by Emily Blunt in the popular film.

Rounding out the performances are Gillian Welch and David Rawlings with their song “When A Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings” from The Ballad Of Buster Scruggs, as Refinery29 reported. The outlet noted that although the song is performed in the movie by Tim Blake Nelson and Willie Watson, the Academy opted to have the songwriters bring it to the stage.

That leaves just one of the nominated songs out: “All The Stars” from Black Panther.

“All The Stars” was written by Kendrick Lamar, Mark Spears, Anthony Tiffith, and SZA, and though it is from one of the most successful movies of 2018, the Academy still hasn’t confirmed it will make it to the telecast. I guess we'll all have to tune in on Sunday, Feb. 24 to see if it makes the final cut. In the meantime, there are several performances to look forward to this weekend.