After the criticism surrounding its lack of Best Original Song live performances last year, the Academy Awards is set to bring it back for this coming 2026 edition.

However, it will only be two of them.

Only two songs will be performed live: “Golden” from “KPop Demon Hunters” and “I Lied to You” from “Sinners”.

According to a letter sent to this year’s music nominees by Oscars executive producers Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan, and producer Taryn Hurd, the decision to feature these specific performances reflects how the songs “have played a defining role in their global cultural impact and audience connection this year.”

The selection of “Golden” is particularly significant, as the track has become a cultural phenomenon since the film’s release. The producers teased “segments designed to honour how music helped these stories resonate worldwide,” suggesting special treatment for the KPop Demon Hunters performance.

Meanwhile, “Sinners”- which leads this year’s Oscar nominations with a record-breaking 16 nominations – will also see its nominated song performed live, cementing the film’s dominant presence at the ceremony.

The three other nominated songs – Nick Cave and Bryce Dessner’s “Train Dreams” from “Train Dreams”, Diane Warren’s “Dear Me” from “Diane Warren: Relentless” and “Sweet Dreams of Joy” by Nicholas Pike from “Viva Verdi!” – will be introduced via custom-produced segments featuring film and behind-the-scenes footage, with additional support across social media.

The producers emphasised that all nominees “are being treated with the same care, storytelling focus and intention as the other awards categories, all of which will be included on the show.”

It is noted that last year’s Best Song performances segment was cut to save time, but was criticised due to additional performances from other artistes deemed unnecessary, including the 007 James Bond tribute by Doja Cat, LISA and RAYE.

The 2026 Oscars, hosted by Conan O’Brien for the second year in a row, will take place in Los Angeles on Sunday, 15 March.

(Photo Source: Variety)

China has submitted the Nanjing Massacre film, “Dead to Rights” as its representative film for the 98th Academy Awards’ Best International Feature Film category.

The movie, helmed by Shen Ao, stars Liu Haoran as Ah Chang, a man who assumes the identity of a photo-developer within a Japanese-controlled studio who covertly hides civilians and Chinese soldiers, while duplicating photographic evidence of the atrocities committed by the Japanese Imperial Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War.

The film marks the second time that China has sent a movie with historical narrative for the said Oscars category, following last year’s “The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru”.

“Dead to Rights” was released back in July, and earned USD 417.6 million at the box office.

It is noted that China has yet to win the said category since its existence, though it has made it twice in the top five through Zhang Yimou’s “Ju Dou” and “Hero”.

(Photo Source: Radii, IMDb)

Hayao Miyazaki now has two Oscars, as his latest animated feature, “The Boy and the Heron” won Best Animated Feature Film at the Oscars.

The animation auteur, who was not present at the Academy Awards, had the accolade accepted on his behalf by presenters Chris Hemsworth and Anya Taylor-Joy.

This is Miyazaki’s second win following 2002’s victory for “Spirited Away”. It might also be his last, if he is true to his words that the movie will be his final film (seeing that Miyazaki has announced his retirement multiple times and failed to actually retire).

“The Boy and the Heron”, which is a story of a young boy in search of his mother in a mysterious fantasy world during the second world war, was inspired by Genzaburo Yoshino’s novel “How Do You Live?”, released in 1937.

The film bested contenders like Pixar’s “Elemental”, Netflix’s “Nimona”, and Sony’s “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”.

Taiwan has already selected the movie to be submitted to the 2024 Academy Awards’ Best International Feature Film.

“Marry My Dead Body”, the action-comedy film about a homophobic cop who finds himself betrothed to a dead gay man, was picked among nine movies that were nominated to represent Taiwan.

According to the selection committee from the Ministry of Culture, they decided to choose the movie to represent Taiwan as it “cleverly combines traditional customs with modern perspectives, has both humour and emotion, and showcases the characteristics of Taiwanese culture and life.”

The film made NTD 360 million when it was released in Taiwan earlier, and received good box office results in several countries including South Korea and Vietnam.

Starring Greg Han and Austin Lam and directed by Cheng Weihao, the movie shows how the unlikely duo must work together through their differences and join forces to solve the ghost’s murder after he died under mysterious circumstances.

(Photo Source: IMDb)

Donnie Yen is not perturbed at all over the previous online petition made by netizens against him to remove him as an Oscar presenter.

The actor, who angered many Hong Kong independence movement supporters after he doubled down on his opposition of the 2019 pro-democracy protest in Hong Kong in a previous interview with GQ, told the media recently that everybody has the right to their own opinions.

“Everyone can have freedom of speech. I hope the world will be more tolerant and loving. I don’t want to comment about it too much,” he said.

In the said GQ interview, Donnie called the 2019 protest a riot, and stated, “I’m not going to be here talking about how to change how people feel about it. But my own experience, like, I was there, I have many friends who were there. I don’t want to get political. A lot of people might not be happy for what I’m saying, but I’m speaking from my own experience.”

On the other hand, when asked about Michelle Yeoh winning Best Actress at the Oscars, Donnie said that he was really happy for her.

“She deserved it. Ke Huy Quan’s Best Supporting Actor speech was also touching. I am very happy to see a lot of Chinese actors won so many awards this time. I want to invite Michelle to celebrate in private, but the whole world is queuing,” he said.

(Photo Source: Donnie Yen IG)

The whole of Malaysia waited with bated breath on the morning (local time) of 13 March, as the 95th Academy Awards took place in Los Angeles, California, USA, over 14,000 km and many time zones away.

The Yeoh family has invited friends and media to an Exclusive Viewing Party for Oscars 2023 at Dadi Cinema Pavilion KL. The whole of Malaysia, and we dare say, the whole of Asia, was rooting for Michelle Yeoh to win the Oscar for Best Actress.

And she did! A truly deserved win indeed.

Datin Janet Yeoh, Michelle Yeoh’s mother, was thrilled and ecstatic. A mother’s unwavering love and support is truly unmatched.

It is official!

Michelle Yeoh is now the first ever Asian and Malaysian actress to have won Best Actress at the Academy Awards.

The actress bested Ana de Armas, Michelle Williams, Andrea Riseborough, and her biggest competition Cate Blanchett to win the coveted accolade for her performance in “Everything Everywhere All At Once”, a culmination of her years of hard work, and the ultimate prize following her multiple win since late last year.

It is noted that Yeoh has won multiple accolades for her performance as Evelyn Wang in the said movie, including at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, the Golden Globe Awards, and the Satellite Awards.

In her speech, the Ipoh-born actress expressed, “For all the little boys and girls who look like me watching tonight, this is the beacon of hope and possibilities. This is proof that dream big and dreams do come true.”

“And ladies don’t let anybody tell you you are ever past your prime.”

Prior to Yeoh, her co-stars Ke Huy Quan and Jamie Lee Curtis won for Best Supporting Actors and Actress.

Park Chan-Wook’s “Decision to Leave” has been shortlisted in the top ten of the upcoming International Feature Film category at the Oscars.

In the announcement made by the organiser of the 95th Academy Awards, the said Tang Wei-starrer will be competing for the top five with nine other international movies that include India’s “Last Film Show”, Belgium’s “Close”, and Germany’s “All Quiet on the Western Front”.

Other movies listed included Spain’s “Alcarras”, Argentina’s “Argentina, 1985”, Mexico’s “Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths”, Sweden’s “Cairo Conspiracy”, and Morocco’s “The Blue Caftan”.

Park’s “Decision to Leave” stars Park Hae-Il as a detective investigating a man’s death in the mountains, and found himself obsessing over the man’s mysterious wife (Tang Wei).

The movie has won multiple domestic and international awards, including Best Director for Park at the Cannes Film Festival and Best Foreign Language Film at the Chicago Film Critics Association. It was also named one of the top 5 international films of 2022 by the National Board of Review.

(Photo Source: Korea Herald, India Today)

The Wong Kar Wai-produced Thai movie, “One for the Road” has been chosen to represent Thailand at the Oscars.

The news was shared by distributor GDH on its social media account, which read, “One for the Road is preparing to leave on the road to the Oscars. Congratulations to [director] Nattawut Poonpiriya and the cast and crew.”

The movie, starring Thanapob Leeratanakajorn, Nattarat Nopparatayapon, and Violette Wautier among others, tells the story of Aood, who, after being diagnosed with a terminal illness, reunites with his best friend to go on an adventure in his attempt to seek forgiveness from the people he wronged in the past.

The movie was released in Thailand back in February.

“One For The Road” joins other Asian movies that include “Where the Wind Blows” (Hong Kong), “Chhello Show” (India) and “On the Job 2: The Missing 8” (the Philippines) in vying for the Best International Picture accolade at the upcoming 95th Academy Awards.

(Photo Source: SINA, Sanook)

The Philippines has finally found its Oscar entry in Erik Matti’s “On the Job: The Missing 8”.

The news was shared by Reality MM Studios via social media, stating, ““On The Job: The Missing 8” has been selected as the Philippine entry to the Best International Feature Film category of the 95th Academy Awards.”

“The film, created by Erik Matti and Michiko Yamamoto, and executive produced by Ronald ‘Dondon’ Monteverde, premiered at the 2021 Venice International Film Festival, where it received a 5-minute standing ovation,” it added.

The movie stars Dennis Trillo and John Arcilla, the latter who previously won Volpi Cup at the Venice Film Festival for his performance as the morally-conflicted journalist Narciso “Sisoy” Salas.

“Reality MM Studios thanks the Directors’ Guild of the Philippines Inc. (DGPI), the Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP), and The Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) for this honour,” the company added.

Prior to the announcement, it was revealed that the movie has also been nominated at the International Emmy Award under the TV Movie/Mini-series category.

Back in 2020, the Philippines sent “Mindanao”, the Brillante Mendoza movie starring Judy Ann Santos. It did not send any entry for last year’s awards.

(Photo Source: Reality MM Studios Instagram)