The Oscars 2022 ceremony took place on Sunday 27 March, and what a night it was. But aside from the incredible red carpet looks, all-female hosts, and of course, the brilliant films that were celebrated, there were some amazing performances at the Academy Awards.
Four out of the five songs nominated for Best Original Song were performed – and yes, that includes appearances from Beyoncé and Billie Eilish (plus an extra special rendition of We Don't Talk About Bruno).
Here are the highlights of the Oscars 2022 performances – there was even a surprise appearance from Blue Ivy Carter!
Who will win a golden statue this year?
Who performed at the Oscars 2022 ceremony?
Best Original Song nominee Beyoncé opened the show with a pre-recorded performance of Be Alive from the Will Smith-fronted King Richard – dressed in neon tennis ball green with an army of matching dancers, no less.
Later, viewers on social media spotted that Beyoncé's daughter Blue Ivy had even joined her amongst the dancers during the performance. “Did y'all see BLUE IVY getting in her eight counts?!!” one fan tweeted of the routine.
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Billie Eilish and American singer-songwriter FINNEAS also performed a haunting version of the beautiful No Time To Die from the latest Bond film of the same name, before picking up the award for Best Original Song.
Colombian singer Sebastián Yatra also sang Dos Oruguitas from the Disney favourite Encanto's soundtrack, a subtle performance that was a total stunner. The track was written by Hamilton and In The Heights' composer Lin-Manuel Miranda – who sadly couldn't be there on Oscars night as his wife tested positive for Covid-19.
And in another Encanto-themed highlight, the film's cast was joined by Becky G, Luis Fonsi and Megan Thee Stallion for a genius performance of the beloved We Don't Talk About Bruno – despite the fact it wasn't actually nominated for an Oscar.
American country music singer Reba McEntire also performed nominated song Somehow You Do (originally sung by Diana Warren), which is from the soundtrack of Four Good Days, starring Mila Kunis and Glenn Close.
Who didn't perform at the Oscars 2022 ceremony?
Van Morrison's Down To Joy – which featured in Kenneth Branagh's Belfast, one of the Best Picture nominations – was also nominated for the accolade, but wasn't performed on the night, as the singer was unable to attend due to his tour schedule.
It was suggested that he wasn't invited to the ceremony due to his controversial anti-lockdown comments both online and in his music. The Academy has denied this, though.
West Side Story's Rachel Zegler was more recently added to the guestlist, after shock circulated that she hadn't initially been invited. Audiences were gutted she didn't sing though, after her amazing performance in Steven Spielberg's remake as Maria Vasquez.
Who presented awards at the Oscars 2022 ceremony?
The list was extensive, and is as follows:
- Halle Bailey
- Stephanie Beatriz
- Ruth E. Carter
- Sean “Diddy” Combs
- Kevin Costner
- Jamie Lee Curtis
- Lady Gaga
- Jennifer Garner
- Tiffany Haddish
- Woody Harrelson
- Tony Hawk
- H.E.R.
- Anthony Hopkins
- Samuel L. Jackson
- Lily James
- Daniel Kaluuya
- DJ Khaled
- Zoe Kravitz
- Mila Kunis
- John Leguizamo
- Simu Liu
- Rami Malek
- Shawn Mendes
- Bill Murray
- Lupita Nyong’o
- Elliot Page
- Rosie Perez
- Tyler Perry
- Chris Rock
- Tracee Ellis Ross
- Naomi Scott
- Kelly Slater
- Wesley Snipes
- Uma Thurman
- John Travolta
- Shaun White
The Oscars 2022 also had hosts for the first time in four years, and it was an all-female panel: Regina Hall, Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes.
Their opening monologue made some sharp political statements, with one memorable quip from Amy going: “This year, the Academy hired three women to host… because it's cheaper than hiring one man.”
