Academy ditches Oscar-nominated song performances

[Don]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8521422.stm

The songs nominated for this year's Academy Award will not be performed live at the ceremony in Los Angeles next month, organisers have announced.

The five-strong musical shortlist will be showcased with clips from the films they featured in, said Academy spokeswoman Leslie Unger.

This year's shortlist includes two songs by Randy Newman from animated film The Princess and The Frog.

Last year's best original song winner was Jai Ho from Slumdog Millionaire.

Other songs in the running this year include Take It All from the musical film Nine, performed on screen by Oscar-winning actress Marion Cotillard.

The Weary Kind, sung by Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart is also nominated, along with Loin de Paname from French movie Paris 36.

Bridges is considered the front runner for this year's best actor accolade, but the song's co-writer, Ryan Bingham, said: "We haven't been invited."

Last year, singer Peter Gabriel refused to perform at the ceremony because the songs had been condensed into a medley performance to save time.

Memorable performances from previous ceremonies have included Celine Dion's rendition of My Heart Will Go On from Titanic, and Bruce Springsteen's The Streets of Philadelphia in 1994.

[brywool]

Dang, after seeing "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" I knew there'd be a change!

[tammy]

Thank goodness. The songs usually almost suck, at least they have been in the last so many years. Not talking about composers, like John Williams, who is incredible, just those weird pretentious songs.

[rockinfayrose]

This sucks! Awards shows sure aren't like they used to be - they all just keep getting worse every year. Even if the nominated songs suck, it's more exciting for us music lovers to see some live performances than 4+ hours of drawn out speeches & other idol dulldrum.