Oscars Boss Reveals What You Didn’t See on TV: ‘Sinners’ Performance Ran Long, Speech Snafus, More

As Academy Award winners soak in the glow of their golden statues, party guests nurse hangovers, and the industry starts predicting what will be next year’s biggest films, the 2026 Oscars ceremony has come to a close.

Pulling off Hollywood’s biggest night is no small feat, as Oscars showrunner Raj Kapoor knows all too well. In an interview with the Associated Press, Kapoor acknowledged that no live event ever goes precisely to plan — like the tie for best live-action short film — but counted the broadcast as an overall success. 

One of the night’s highlights came from the goose-bump-inducing performance of Sinner’s “I Lied to You.” Recreating the film’s pivotal Club Juke scene with a little extra star power, Miles Caton was joined on stage by Raphael Saadiq, Buddy Guy, Brittany Howard, Shaboozey, ballerina Misty Copeland, Eric Gales, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Jayme Lawson, and more. 

The captivating performance continued on even after the broadcast went to commercial break, with Kapoor saying that if it wasn’t for having to change over the stage, the showrunners would’ve let them continue for even longer. “There were so many talented musicians in that segment, and I think they were just really living in that moment and wanting to have the party continue because I think the energy in the room felt electric, and I really think between the audience and the performers onstage, nobody really wanted it to end,” Kapoor said. 

Speeches weren’t as lucky. The aim is to keep the Oscars under a three-and-a-half-hour runtime, according to Kapoor, and winners were advised to keep their acceptance speeches short. 

“All the nominees are given guidelines of how long they have to speak and ultimately, in a lot of categories where there’s multiple nominees, we’ve asked for them to designate somebody to speak on behalf of everybody that’s nominated in that category,” he explained. It was a “tough decision” when showrunners abruptly cut the mics of Best Original Song winners, the team behind KPop Demon Hunters’ smash hit, “Golden.” 

Editor’s picks

The 250 Greatest Albums of the 21st Century So Far

The 100 Best TV Episodes of All Time

The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time

100 Best Movies of the 21st Century

“Ultimately, at that time in the show, we are now very, very extremely conscious of time,” Kapoor said. “And [we] want to be fair to all the nominees, so that ends up being a tough decision to make.”

There were no major technical difficulties that Kapoor flagged, but he did reveal that presenter Kumail Nanjiani only learned of the tie in the category for best live-action short film right before he stepped out on stage. “He was kind of like the perfect person to do that at that time,” Kapoor said. “I was so impressed with just how he handled it.” 
Trending Stories
BTS to Deliver First U.S. Performance in Nearly 4 Years at Fan Event for New Album
‘A Beautiful Journey’: Ed O’Brien on His Stunningly Deep Solo Album and Radiohead’s Future
Zendaya Responds to AI Wedding Photos With Tom Holland: ‘Many People Have Been Fooled’
Kristi Noem Has Always Been an Incompetent Narcissist. No One Cared

And as for the night’s host, Conan O’Brien, even Kapoor couldn’t tell if he had missed a cue that the show was back from commercial break. At the moment, Conan appeared to be chatting with audience members while standing on stage. “Conan is the master of improv, and he’s the master of reaction,” Kapoor said. “Sometimes, I honestly could not tell. I heard the cue go out. But the way that Conan played that bit, it could have been a Conan bit. He is one of those people that are so talented. And sometimes you really don’t know what he has planned.” 

“I feel really good,” Kapoor added to AP. “It is one of those things where you work so hard on putting something together, and the next day you’re absolutely exhausted and can barely talk. But it’s still kind of an amazing feeling.”