The 95th Academy Awards are going down on March 12, and it was revealed today (February 23) that there’s going to be a major reason for music fans to tune in: Rihanna will be performing her Black Panther: Wakanda Forever song “Lift Me Up” during the Oscars broadcast.
This of course comes shortly after Rihanna’s beloved recent performance at the Super Bowl Halftime Show.
“Lift Me Up” is nominated for Best Original Song at the 2023 ceremony (her first-ever Oscars nomination), as are Lady Gaga and Bloodpop’s “Hold My Hand” from Top Gun: Maverick; Diane Warren’s “Applause” from Tell It Like A Woman; M.M. Keeravaani and Chandrabose’s “Naatu Naatu” from RRR; and Ryan Lott, David Byrne, and Mitski’s “This Is A Life” from Everything Everywhere All At Once. “Naatu Naatu” already has one win this awards season, at it was named Best Original Song, Motion Picture at the 2023 Golden Globe Awards over nominees by Rihanna, Gaga, and others.
“Lift Me Up” co-writer Tems previously said of the song, “After speaking with [director Ryan Coogler] and hearing his direction for the film and the song, I wanted to write something that portrays a warm embrace from all the people that I’ve lost in my life. I tried to imagine what it would feel like if I could sing to them now and express how much I miss them. Rihanna has been an inspiration to me so hearing her convey this song is a great honor.”
Another year, another award season, and this time, the Oscars are commanding attention. Today, the nominations for the 2023 Academy Awards were announced, and while some are celebrating, others are questioning why several notable features and actors didn’t receive nods.
It’s expected that with nominations such as these, someone, somewhere, will be disappointed. However, when it was shown that Jordan Peele’s Nope, The Woman King starring Viola Davis, and even Tom Cruise for his Top Gun portrayal were snubbed, fans demanded answers.
The 2023 Oscars gotta have some of the most disappointing snubs I’ve seen in a long time pic.twitter.com/PIYZRUsTO1
Top Gun was a frontrunner and earned a nod for Best Picture. However, it didn’t receive inclusion for Best Actor or Best Director. It was expected to be added to those categories, as well as those highlighting cinematography.
Peele’s features have swept the box office one after another, but Nope didn’t grab the Academy’s attention. Neither did The Woman King, as the praised film also didn’t earn any nominations. Additionally, Wakanda Forever‘s Angela Bassett received a look for Best Supporting Actress, and Rihanna’s “Lift Me Up” is up for Best Original Song. Some believed the film’s director, Ryan Coogler, should have also been nominated.
Additionally, this year no women directors were selected, but neither was James Cameron for the latest Avatar film.
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – JULY 18: (L-R) Steven Yeun, Daniel Kaluuya, Jordan Peele, Keke Palmer, and Brandon Perea attend the world premiere of Universal Pictures’ “NOPE” at TCL Chinese Theatre on July 18, 2022 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/FilmMagic)
Further, Rihanna and Lady Gaga have been nominated for Best Original Song (“Lift Me Up” and “Hold My Hand,” respectively). Their fanbases are exciting, but Taylor Swift’s exclusion for her Where the Crawdads Sing track “Carolina” has caused a firestorm.
Other snubs include Margot Robbie, Elvis director Baz Luhrmann, and Till, the controversial film about the murder of Emmett Till.
Did your picks make the cut? Check out a few reactions below.
Despite all of the valid historical/cultural critiques of The Woman King and its reframing of a very complex history, for the blockbuster spectacle of a film that it was, the talent in it, and audiences and critics’ responses to it, the Oscar snub is kind of egregious https://t.co/WtKSt8GUSQ
Not surprised Elvis, Top Gun and Avatar all campaigned their way to get #BestPicture noms but still really exhausting and disappointing much more deserving films were shut out because of it…major #Oscars snub for @RRRMoviepic.twitter.com/hOgr74emlJ
My reaction to the Oscar noms: Not a ton of surprises, absolutely wild to not have a single woman nominated in the directing category when Sarah Polley and Charlotte Wells turned out two of the best films of the year and Viola Davis and Danielle Deadwyler are big snubs
Following yesterday’s (January 23) hilarious Razzie Award nominations announcement comes this roster of potential winners for the upcoming 95th Academy Awards. Riz Ahmed and Allison Williams had the honour of announcing the lengthy list his morning, and it looks like plenty of our favourites could be taking home trophies.
Rihanna attends Marvel Studios’ “Black Panther 2: Wakanda Forever” Premiere at Dolby Theatre on October 26, 2022 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
“Look, Rihanna has given us a whole career and a whole catalog of music,” the songwriter said at the time. “And now she’s given us makeup and clothing, and I think the world would understand if she hung up her mic. I completely understand because I love her music so much, but I feel like she’s given all that you could ask for. But the truth is we were looking for a great artist who could tell the story of the film, embrace the themes of the film, and present them to the audience in a different packaging.”
He went on, “It was really the trailer, I think, when [Rihanna] saw the performances that everybody was putting down. That was what kind of put her over the edge and [made her] say, ‘Hey, I want to see this film. I want to see if I can figure this out.’ …But the truth is, once she played us the record, she said straight up, ‘I did this for Chad.’”
As PEOPLE reports, the CEO of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts, Bill Kramer, previously confirmed that all 23 categories will be announced during the live show. In the past, eight awards were cut due to time constraints and given out ahead of the ceremony, with pre-recorded acceptance speeches making it into the broadcast.
Jimmy Kimmel will be on hosting duty for the main event after successful stints in 2017 and 2018. The ceremony will take place on Sunday, March 12 at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre.
Of course, last year’s Academy Awards saw the unforgettable moment when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock. Due to the chaos that was caused, it’s unlikely we’ll see similar shenanigans play out this time.
Scroll further to read the full list of 2023 Oscar nominations, including Brendan Fraser, Angela Bassett, Rihanna, and Tems.
Best Picture
All Quiet on the Western Front Avatar: The Way of Water The Banshees of Inisherin Elvis Everything Everywhere All at Once The Fabelmans Tár Top Gun: Maverick Triangle of Sadness Women Talking
Best Actor
Austin Butler (Elvis) Colin Farrell (The Banshees of Inisherin) Brendan Fraser (The Whale) Paul Mescal (Aftersun) Bill Nighy (Living)
Best Actress
Cate Blanchett (Tár) Ana de Armas (Blonde) Andrea Riseborough (To Leslie) Michelle Williams (The Fabelmans) Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All at Once)
Best Supporting Actor
Brendan Gleeson (The Banshees of Inisherin) Brian Tyree Henry (Causeway) Judd Hirsch (The Fabelmans) Barry Keoghan (The Banshees of Inisherin) Ke Huy Quan (Everything Everywhere All at Once)
Best Supporting Actress
Angela Bassett (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) Hong Chau (The Whale) Kerry Condon (The Banshees of Inisherin) Jamie Lee Curtis (Everything Everywhere All at Once) Stephanie Hsu (Everything Everywhere All at Once)
Best Animated Film
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio Marcel the Shell with Shoes On Puss in Boots: The Last Wish The Sea Beast Turning Red
Best Director
Martin McDonagh (The Banshees of Inisherin) Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (Everything Everywhere All at Once) Steven Spielberg (The Fabelmans) Todd Field (Tár) Ruben Östlund (Triangle of Sadness)
Best Adapted Screenplay
All Quiet on the Western Front – Edward Berger, Lesley Paterson, Ian Stokell Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery – Rian Johnson Living – Kazuo Ishiguro Top Gun: Maverick – Screenplay by Ehren Kruger and Eric Warren Singer and Christopher McQuarrie; Story by Peter Craig and Justin Marks Women Talking – Sarah Polley (based on the book by Miriam Toews)
Best Original Screenplay
The Banshees of Inisherin – Martin McDonagh Everything Everywhere All at Once – Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert The Fabelmans – Steven Spielberg, Tony Kushner Tár – Todd Field Triangle of Sadness – Ruben Östlund
Best Cinematography
All Quiet on the Western Front Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths Elvis Empire of Light Tár
Best Film Editing
The Banshees of Inisherin Elvis Everything Everywhere All at Once Tár Top Gun: Maverick
Best Original Score
All Quiet on the Western Front Babylon The Banshees of Inisherin Everything Everywhere All at Once The Fabelmans
Best Original Song
“Applause” from Tell It Like a Woman (Music and Lyric by Diane Warren) “Hold My Hand” from Top Gun: Maverick (Music and Lyric by Lady Gaga and BloodPop) “Lift Me Up” from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Music by Tems, Rihanna, Ryan Coogler and Ludwig Goransson; Lyric by Tems and Ryan Coogler) “Naatu Naatu” from RRR (Music by M.M. Keeravaani; Lyric by Chandrabose) “This Is a Life” from Everything Everywhere All at Once (Music by Ryan Lott, David Byrne and Mitski; Lyric by Ryan Lott and David Byrne)
Best Visual Effects
All Quiet on the Western Front Avatar: The Way of Water The Batman Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Top Gun: Maverick
Best Sound
All Quiet on the Western Front Avatar: The Way of Water The Batman Elvis Top Gun: Maverick
Best Costume Design
Babylon Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Elvis Everything Everywhere All at Once Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris
Best Makeup & Hairstyling
All Quiet on the Western Front The Batman Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Elvis The Whale
Best Production Design
All Quiet on the Western Front Avatar: The Way of Water Babylon Elvis The Fabelmans
Best Documentary Feature
All That Breathes All the Beauty and the Bloodshed Fire of Love A House Made of Splinters Navalny
Best Documentary Short Subject
The Elephant Whisperers Haulout How Do You Measure a Year? The Martha Mitchell Effect Stranger at the Gate
Best Animated Short
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse The Flying Sailor Ice Merchants My Year of Dicks An Ostrich Told Me the World Is Fake and I Think I Believe It
Best Live-Action Short
An Irish Goodbye Ivalu Le Pupille Night Ride The Red Suitcase
Best International Film
All Quiet on the Western Front (Germany) Argentina, 1985 (Argentina) Close (Belgium) EO (Poland) The Quiet Girl (Ireland)
Do you think Rihanna will take home her first Oscar this year? Let us know who your early picks to win are down below, and check back later for more pop culture updates.
Comedian Chris Rock admits he turned down an invitation to host the 2023 Academy Awards. Rock, 57, revealed he would not be returning as the 2023 Oscars host to the audience at his comedy show in Phoenix on Sunday night.
The ‘Grown Ups’ actor dished on getting slapped by Best Actor winner Will Smith at this year’s Oscars. The infamous moment took place as Rock was about to present the award for best documentary feature, and less than an hour before Smith would accept the best actor honor for his performance in King Richard.
Will Smith, 53, walked up on stage and slapped Rock after the comedian made a joke about Smith’s wife. Jada Pinkett Smith suffers from alopecia, a condition that caused her to lose her hair.
Rock told the Phoenix audience, “He’s bigger than me. The state of Nevada would not sanction a fight between me and Will Smith.”
The comedian’s sold-out crowd was eager to hear his take on the viral incident, with one fan yelling out, “Talk about it!” as reported by the Arizona Republic. Rock riffed returning to the Oscars would be like asking Nicole Brown Simpson “to go back to the restaurant.”
but still really exhausting and disappointing much more deserving films were shut out because of it…major 
(@carorose93) 
