Margaret Qualley, Doja Cat, BLACKPINK‘s Lisa and Raye delivered an epic tribute to the James Bond franchise at the 2025 Oscars.
After a presentation from Die Another Day star Halle Berry paying tribute to Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson “and our favorite spy”, Qualley, 30, kicked off a special tribute to the iconic songs that have been such key part of the legendary spy franchise’s history.
Margaret Qualley at the Academy Awards on March 2. PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty
Dressed in a vivid red dress, Qualley twirled with a succession of tuxedo-clad dancers. She was followed by three sultry performances of iconic Bond theme songs: Lisa singing “Live and Let Die” by Wings, Doja Cat singing “Diamonds Are Forever” (originally performed by Shirley Bassey) and Raye singing “Skyfall” by Adele.
While speaking to Variety on the red carpet, president of the Academy, Janet Yang, opened up about what fans could expect from the highly anticipated musical performance.
“It’s going to be one of the highlights of the show,” she said. “And we feel so lucky that we are able to do this within news of what is happening.”
(Left-right:) Lisa; Doja Cat; Raye. Pascal Le Segretain/Getty;Billy H.C. Kwok/Getty;
The tribute performance is particularly poignant given that on Thursday, Feb. 20, longtime Bond producers Broccoli and Wilson announced they would be stepping away from the franchise as the Amazon-owned MGM Studios holds creative control of Bond projects moving forward.
In a statement, Wilson, 83, said in a statement that he is “stepping back from producing the James Bond films to focus on art and charitable projects. Therefore, Barbara and I agree, it is time for our trusted partner, Amazon MGM Studios, to lead James Bond into the future.”
Broccoli added in a statement, “I have had the honor of working closely with four of the tremendously talented actors who have played 007 and thousands of wonderful artists within the industry. With the conclusion of No Time to Die and Michael retiring from the films, I feel it is time to focus on my other projects.”
Lisa at the Academy Awards on March 2. Kevin Winter/Getty
Hosted by Conan O’Brien, the Academy previously revealed that the 2025 Oscars ceremony would ditch live performances by the Best Original Song nominees.
“This year the Best Original Song category presentation will move away from live performances and will be focused on the songwriters,” read a letter sent to Academy members in January. “We will celebrate their artistry through personal reflections from the teams who bring these songs to life. All of this, and more, will uncover the stories and inspiration behind this year’s nominees.”
Raye at the Academy Awards on March 2. Kevin Winter/Getty
Those nominees are Emilia Pérez‘s “El Mal” and “Mi Camino,” The Six Triple Eight‘s “The Journey,” Sing Sing‘s “Like a Bird” and Elton John: Never Too Late’s “Never Too Late.”
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See PEOPLE’s full coverage of the 97th annual Academy Awards, hosted by Conan O’Brien and airing on ABC.
