The Oscar for best original song was handed out at the Dolby Theatre on Sunday night by none other than Mick Jagger, who announced the winner: ”El Mal” from Emilia Pérez.
“The producers wanted Bob Dylan to do it, but Bob didn’t want to,” joked Jagger. “‘The best songs this year are obviously in A Complete Unknown. You should find somebody younger.’ OK, I’m younger than Bob! So here I am.”
It turns out Dylan was really invited to present and perform at the Oscars, Best In Business 2024 has learned exclusively.
Earlier in the evening, Oscars host Conan O’Brien also suggested that Dylan, the subject of the Oscar-nominated A Complete Unknown, had passed on attending the ceremony.
“Dylan wanted to be here tonight, but not that badly,” O’Brien joked in his monologue.
Diane Warren, nominated for “The Journey” from The Six Triple Eight, could have achieved her first win in the category after a record-breaking 16 nominations and eighth nomination in the category in the past eight years. She received an honorary Oscar in 2022.
Nominees for best original song spanned a range of musical styles and cinematic themes. Two contenders came from Emilia Pérez, “El Mal” and “Mi Camino” (performed by Zoe Saldana and Selena Gomez, respectively); “Never Too Late” from the documentary Elton John: Never Too Late; “The Journey” performed by H.E.R. from The Six Triple Eight; and “Like a Bird” from Sing Sing.
Earlier in the night, Warren expressed her disappointment in learning that nominees for best original song wouldn’t be performing at the Oscars.
