The Oscars receive a burst of Kenergy as Ryan Gosling gears up to perform the pop power ballad ‘I’m Just Ken’ on March 10, as announced by the show’s producers on Wednesday. Other artists, including Billie Eilish and Finneas O´Connell, Jon Batiste, Scott George, the Osage Singers, and Becky G, are also slated to showcase their nominated original songs.
In addition to his performance, Gosling is nominated for Best Supporting Actor that evening. In a promotional segment with Jimmy Kimmel, adopting the persona of Ken, he humorously expressed doubt about winning, especially with fellow nominee Robert Downey Jr. dominating the awards season.
Despite the competition, “I’m Just Ken,” penned by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, stands a chance. While Eilish and Finneas’s ‘What Was I Made For’ seems to be the frontrunner, having secured a Grammy, the Ken ballad is highly anticipated for the Oscars telecast, marking Gosling’s debut performance at the prestigious event.
As Ken might exclaim from a seemingly soundproof corner: “Sublime!”
Other nominated songs include Diane Warren’s “The Fire Inside” from “Flamin’ Hоt,” Jon Batiste and Dan Wilson’s “It Never Went Away” from “American Symphony,” and Scott George’s “Wahzhazhe” from “Killers of the Flower Moon.”
The 96th Oscars will be aired live on ABC and across more than 200 territories globally from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday, March 10, beginning at 7 p.m. EDT.