6 Best 2025 Oscars Music Moments You Didn’t See on TV

For an Oscars telecast that explicitly excluded performances of the five best original song nominees, Sunday night (March 2) was still a very musical affair.

The 2025 awards show opened with a performance from Wicked stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, and also included tributes to the music of James Bond from the pop-star trifecta of LISA, Doja Cat and RAYE and to the film legacy of Quincy Jones from Queen Latifah. Then we had Selena Gomez and Miley Cyrus as presenters, plus a surprise Mick Jagger moment.

Even the night’s host Conan O’Brien wanted to get in on the action, extending his already 15-minute-plus opening monologue to sing a musical number declaring “I won’t waste time”… as he did just that with the jaunty tune.

We can even dig a little deeper to find a Taylor Swift connection to the night, even though the omnipresent pop star was not in the building. A Swift fan account on X noticed that five of the star’s Eras Tour dancers — Jan Ravnik, Sydney Moss, Sam McWilliams, Taylor Banks and Tori Evans – all performed as part of the Bond tribute, backing up The Substance star Margaret Qualley (wife of Swift producer and pal Jack Antonoff).

But that was all part of the onscreen action Oscar viewers could enjoy from the comfort of their couches. Billboard was inside the Dolby Theatre on Sunday night and caught a few music moments the cameras missed. Below, find the six music moments you didn’t see on TV.