Intro for March 11, 2026
– 2 min read
Dear Gossips,
Is Hudson Williams going to the Oscars? Variety reported yesterday that Hudson will indeed be there on Sunday – and the word they used was “attending” which suggests to me that, at least for now, he’ll be there as a guest, not a presenter. So far, his name is not on the list of confirmed presenters released by the Academy. But the Oscars isn’t just about the show, it’s also about the red carpet, some might argue that the carpet is more of a heatscore than the actual broadcast. Hudson’s potential appearance on the carpet, no doubt, will be one of the most viral moments of the night.
It’s not unusual for celebrities who aren’t involved with the nominated films to be invited to experience the Oscars. Last year, Rowoon, who is a major K-pop idol and actor, showed up on the red carpet, unrecognised by most of the media, but your girl clocked him right away. My crash-out on camera when he arrived was one of ETALK’s most viewed and liked social media posts, not just from Oscar night proper but the whole year. This is the kind of action the Academy is after.
As we get closer and closer to Oscar night, the Academy is confirming more details about the broadcast. Yesterday came confirmation about two of the most anticipated performances that will happen during the show. EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami will be on stage for “Golden”, from Kpop Demon Hunters, accompanied by Korean musical instruments and dance, in celebration of Korean folklore and tradition. It’ll be a powerful representation of Korean culture during cinema’s biggest night.
Also, “I Lied to You” from Sinners, the song featured in what is now considered one of the most powerful scenes in cinematic history, anchored by breakout star Miles Caton. The Academy revealed that Miles won’t be alone up there – he too will be joined by a long list of performers.
From those names, it’s safe to assume that they’ll be recreating the scene in the film, and trying not to burn the roof off the joint. Also if Misty Copeland for whatever reason has to cancel at the last minute, maybe Timothée Chalamet can put some tights on and atone for his crimes against ballet and opera.
We’ve been saying for weeks that there are so many tight races in so many Oscar categories – and Best Original Song is one of them. Sinners is the most nominated film in Oscar history, the Academy clearly has a lot of admiration for it. And its momentum during award season has continued to build. I wrote a few weeks ago at The Squawk that “I Lied to You” is one of the purest examples of what a Best Original Song Oscar winner should be, setting a new standard for musical integration. It is vital to the entire film, bringing together every part of the filmmaking process to create four minutes of movie magic, which is what the Oscars celebrate. So, sure, yes, “Golden” is the frontrunner here – but not by much. In my opinion, it’s closer than a lot of people think between these two songs.
Yours in gossip,
Lainey
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