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Billboard was inside the Dolby Theatre for two elaborately staged production numbers, Barbra Streisand's touching tribute to a former co-star, Josh Groban's comic moment and more.
3/16/2026
Josh Groban at the 98th Annual Oscars held at Dolby Theatre on March 15, 2026 in Hollywood, California. Rich Polk/Penske Media
Music again played a key role on this year’s Oscars, if not quite as big a role as last year when Wicked stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo opened the show with a three-song medley of songs from The Wizard of Oz, The Wiz and Wicked. But this year’s show did include elaborately-staged performances of two of the five nominated songs – as well as a touching performance by Barbra Streisand in tribute to Robert Redford, her co-star in The Way We Were. And the show allowed Josh Groban a chance to show off his fun side.
Several anniversaries were saluted. Five key members of the cast of Bridesmaids marked the 15th anniversary of that film’s release by reuniting to present the awards for best original score and best sound. Nicole Kidman and Ewan MacGregor marked the 25th anniversary of Moulin Rogue by performing snippets of a few songs from that film’s “Elephant Love Medley,” before presenting best picture. Lionel Richie presented the award for best original song, 40 years after he won it for “Say You, Say Me” from White Nights.
Zendaya was tabbed to co-present a major award (best director) with Robert Pattinson.
KPop Demon Hunters won in both of the categories it was nominated in – best animated feature and best original song. Marty Supreme experienced the opposite fate, going 0-9 on the night.
But that was all part of the onscreen action Oscar viewers could enjoy from the comfort of their couches. Billboard was inside the Dolby Theater on Sunday night and caught a few music moments the cameras missed. Below, find the seven music moments you didn’t see on TV.
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Josh Groban Got to Show His Fun Side
When Josh Groban was announced as a performer on this year’s Oscars, without any details provided, many probably assumed he’d be singing in the In Memoriam spot. And he would have been great in that role, showing the dignity and gravitas that we usually associate with him. Instead, he was allowed to be silly and show his fun side performing a number called “I Won” with host Conan O’Brien. We don’t often get to see that side of him, and he really scored. You could tell he was pleased with how the bit went during his long walk from center stage to stage right.
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A DJ Who Kept the Mood Lively During Commercial Breaks
The DJ for this show deserved some kind of award for playing songs both vintage and current to keep the audience’s spirits up during commercial breaks. Some of the vintage songs we heard were Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell’s 1967 classic “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” and Kool & the Gang’s supremely funky 1974 hit “Hollywood Swinging.” (Since the Dolby Theatre is on Hollywood Blvd. in the heart of Hollywood, it was entirely appropriate.) We also heard Chic’s 1979 smash “Good Times” and a-ha’s 1985 classic “Take on Me.”
Some of the more recent songs were Chappell Roan’s “Hot to Go!,” RAYE’s “Where Is My Husband!” and Sombr’s “12 to 12.”
Unsurprisingly, Bruno Mars was well-represented on the DJ’s list, with his current smash “I Just Might;” his 2024 smash “APT.” with Rosé; and his 2021 Silk Sonic hit “Skate.” Free advice to Bruno: Do a film song. They know you. They love you. An Oscar would look nice alongside your 16 Grammys.
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Elaborate Production Numbers for Sinners and KPop Demon Hunters
We knew going into the ceremony that two of the five nominated songs would be heavily featured and that the other three would just be included in a video package that preceded the announcement of the winner. But we didn’t know just how elaborate the production numbers would be, or how brief the mentions of the other songs would be. Last year, the Oscars included behind-the-scenes interview segments with all of the nominated songwriters. Not this year.
The production number for “I Lied to You” from Sinners was one of the most elaborately staged in Oscar history. There were more than 20 musicians and dancers on stage. And they kept going after the show cut to a commercial, still swaying to the music, until stagehands ushered them offstage.
(Shaboozey was featured in that production number. During the next commercial break, the DJ played Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy).”)
It was a similar story with HUNTR/X’s performance of “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters. The Oscars placed wristbands that light up on the back of every seat to encourage the audience to create a light show during the performance. After the performance, the EJAE, Audrey Nuna and REI AMI hugged each other before stagehands also led them off stage. (No matter how big you score on the Oscars, you have to quickly make way for the next stage set-up.)
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A “Golden” Moment Tarnished
“Golden” was written by seven songwriters, so they weren’t all going to get a chance to give thanks. EJAE gave a rather lengthy speech. When one of her co-writers — Yu-Han Lee, also known as Yuhan — jumped in to add his thank-you’s, the music kicked in and the Oscars went to a commercial break. Just before they did, another co-writer, Mark Sonnenblick, jumped up and down in an animated way as if he hoped causing a commotion would get the show’s director to reverse his decision to cut away. It didn’t work. If it looked on TV like Sonnenblick was genuinely upset, when the songwriters walked off stage, he patted EJAE on the back, so there didn’t seem to be any lingering resentment over her monopolizing the mic.
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Barbra Streisand Saluted an Old Friend
Barbra Streisand paid tribute to Robert Redford, her co-star in The Way We Were, one of the most iconic romantic dramas of its time. She capped the tribute by singing a few lines from film’s title song. It’s the second time she has performed the song on the Oscars during the In Memoriam segment. She sang it in 2013 in honor of the song’s composer, Marvin Hamlisch. This year’s In Memoriam segment also included the song’s co-lyricist Alan Bergman, who, along with his late wife Marilyn were also dear friends of Streisand’s, but the star didn’t mention him in her remarks.
Streisand made her first appearance on the Oscars in 1968 when she presented best original song (which went that year to “Talk to the Animals”). Very few performers in Oscar history have made appearances on the Oscar stage spanning nearly 60 years.
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A Funny Bit That Scored
Conan O’Brien and Sterling K. Brown did a funny bit based on reports that films may start repeating plot points more often for benefit of today’s distracted, multitasking audiences. O’Brien and his writers tweaked the concept with a funny sketch based on Casablanca, with O’Brien stepping into Humphrey Bogart’s role as Rick and Brown taking on Dooley Wilson’s part as Sam. What you didn’t see was that after the bit concluded, the men shook hands and then O’Brien bowed at his scene partner. It was a well-written, well-executed bit, well worth a bow.
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Security at the Oscars
“Security is very tight. There’s concern about attacks from both the ballet and opera worlds,” Conan O’Brien said near the top of the show, in a clever way of acknowledging Timothée Chalamet’s recent verbal gaffe (without piling on too much).
Security is indeed very tight at the Oscars. You’re told ahead of time that anything you have in your car will be searched. And they’re not kidding. Hollywood Blvd. is shut down for several blocks around the Dolby. As you drive down that long, oddly traffic-free expanse, there are multiple checkpoints. You’re asked to pop your hood and your trunk and roll down all your windows. A bomb-sniffing dog then inspects your car. We all know the world we’re living in, but it is certainly a sobering aspect of a glittery event.
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