Oscars 2026: live performance of I lied to you features Miles Caton, Raphael Saadiq

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At the 2026 Academy Awards, a scene from the film Sinners came to life as Miles Caton and Raphael Saadiq delivered a live performance of the movie’s nominated song, I Lied to You. The staged number—complete with a barn set, period costumes and a roster of veteran and contemporary musicians—turned the Oscars stage into a momentary juke joint and underscored how film soundtracks can drive cultural conversation.

Staging the film on the awards stage

The performance recreated the movie’s barn sequence, with Caton and Saadiq both on guitar beneath strings of warm lights. Dancers in era-appropriate attire spun across the stage while camera operators moved through the crowd, echoing the immersive, dizzying camerawork seen in the film.

Producers layered musicians and cultural figures into the frame to span generations and genres, giving the live rendition the same communal energy that makes the on-screen scene stand out.

Who was onstage

The roster mixed blues royalty, rock and soul players, and artists from other disciplines. Notable contributors included:

Buddy Guy — blues guitar presence and legacy weight

Brittany Howard — vocals and guitar, bringing a modern soul-rock edge

Shaboozey — vocal support

Misty Copeland — movement and choreography, connecting dance to the film’s narrative

Eric Gales and Christone “Kingfish” Ingram — added guitar layers and vocal textures

Saadiq and Caton anchored the arrangement, while other musicians alternated between foreground and atmospheric accompaniment, preserving the sense of a crowded, living room–style performance.

Awards context and outcomes

I Lied to You was among the contenders for Best Original Song. Raphael Saadiq wrote the piece with composer Ludwig Göransson, who that night was the only person nominated in both song and score categories.

The Oscar for Best Original Song went to “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters, credited to Rei Ami, Audrey Nuna and EJAE. Göransson, however, took home the trophy for Best Original Score and used his acceptance to acknowledge his father — citing an early introduction to blues greats and the gift of his first guitar as formative influences.

Sinners entered the ceremony with a remarkable 16 nominations and ultimately won four awards, including Best Actor for Michael B. Jordan, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, and Best Original Score.

Why this matters

Live occasions like this one do more than celebrate a film; they amplify its cultural footprint. A staged scene at the Oscars repositions a soundtrack from background accompaniment to a standalone piece of performance art, and that visibility can lift the profiles of emerging performers such as Miles Caton while reminding audiences of the influences that shaped the movie.

For viewers who follow film music, the night highlighted two industry trends: the continued blending of genres on major awards stages, and the growing recognition of composers who straddle pop, film and traditional roots music.

The performance was a rare, cross-generational display—where a barn set, a dozen musicians and a principal cast member converged on Hollywood’s biggest stage to put a film’s sonic world front and center.