From Conan O’Brien’s monologue to James Bond tribute: 5 best music moments from the 2025 Oscars

The 2025 Oscars was held at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles, California, on March 2, 2025. The 97th edition of the awards, which has the real name of The Academy Awards but has been called the Oscars in common parlance, featured a whole host of memorable moments, all televised by ABC, while the event was also streamed by Hulu and Disney+ respectively.

Some of these memorable moments involved musical tributes and musicians, from host Conan O'Brien's monologue to several singers performing James Bond tributes.

The five best moments have been selected and listed out in detail in the following sections of this article. These 5 were chosen among several dozen, and the choices are naturally subjective in nature.

---

5 best music moments from the 2025 Oscars

The 5 best music moments from the 2025 Oscars are as follows:

1) Conan O'Brien opening monologue

Host Conan O'Brien's monologue at the Oscars was a mix of jokes and comments that drew attention to controversies such as Emilia Perez film actress Karla Sofía Gascón's controversial posts on X, as well as a reference to the feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar. The comedian commented on the feud between the two musicians:

"We're halfway through the show, which means it's time for Kendrick Lamar to come out and call Drake a pedophile. Don't worry, I'm lawyered up."

---

2) James Bond Tribute

The next best moment out of the 2025 Oscars is courtesy of singers LISA, Doja Cat, and RAYE, the trio each performing a tribute to James Bond. RAYE sang the theme of the 2012 Bond film Skyfall by Adele. The tribute was preceded by Margaret Qualley dancing to the Bond theme.

Meanwhile, LISA and Doja Cat sang the themes from Live and Let Die and Diamonds Are Forever. The themes for the two films were originally composed by Wings and Shirley Bassey, respectively. The three tributes were well received, with members of the audience cheering on their favorite stars during their performance.

---

3) Queen Latifah paid tribute to Quincy Jones

Queen Latifah paid tribute to Quincy Jones, the late musician and producer who passed away on November 3, 2024, at the age of 91. The singer took to the stage at the invitation of Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey and sang a rendition of Ease on Down the Road, originally sung by Michael Jackson and Diana Ross for the film The Wiz. Quincy Jones produced the soundtrack for the film, which is a musical R&B adaptation of The Wizard of Oz.

---

4) Ariana Grande performs Over the Rainbow

The next best moment at the 2025 Oscars for music was the performance by Ariana Grande of the number Over the Rainbow from the musical fantasy film Wicked, in which the singer acted the role of Glinda the Good Witch. The singer performed the song in a flowing red gown before making way for her co-star Cynthia Erivo for her performance of Home from the same film.

---

5) Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo perform Defying Gravity

The final selection of the best musical moments from the 2025 Oscars also features Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, with the two performing the song Defying Gravity, also from the film Wicked. The performance by the duo was also well-received at the ceremony, with Cynthia Erivo receiving a standing ovation from the audience.

---

Other musical moments of the 2025 Oscars

The 2025 Oscars featured a few other moments surrounding musicians, including an appearance by Mick Jagger of Rolling Stones fame. The musician's appearance at the award ceremony was marked by a standing ovation as well as Camille Dalmais walking Jagger offstage.