Queen Latifah at the Academy Awards on March 2. Photo:
Kevin Winter/Getty
The late Quincy Jones received a sweet tribute from Queen Latifah at the 2025 Academy Awards.
The iconic record producer, who died in November 2024 at age 91, was among the 2024 honorees at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences’ Governors Awards ceremony, which took place in November just days after Jones’ death. The Academy announced Jones would receive an honorary Oscar in June 2024 to recognize his contribution to film through his music.
Paying homage to their Color Purple producer onstage at the Oscar ceremony were that 1985 movie’s stars, Oprah Winfrey and Whoopi Goldberg. Latifah, 54, then delivered a rousing rendition of Charlie Smalls’ song “Ease on Down the Road” from the musical The Wiz in honor of Jones, who produced the song in the 1987 film starring Diana Ross and Michael Jackson.
The high-energy number, featuring Latifah in a lavish gold dress and several backup dancers and singers, brought the audience to their feet. Cynthia Erivo, Colman Domingo and more in the Dolby Theatre crowd were seen dancing along to the music.
Quincy Jones in 2018. Brad Barket/Getty
Last month, Jones also received a tribute at the 2025 Grammys. Erivo and Herbie Hancock took the stage first to honor the late music legend, as well as the wildfires in Los Angeles. A star-studded list of artists, including Stevie Wonder, Janelle Monáe, Lainey Wilson, and Jacob Collier, paid tribute to the legendary musician and the enduring “spirit” of L.A.
Before the musicians covered their versions of Jones’ celebrated songs, Will Smith introduced the tribute and said, “A brilliant 28-time Grammy Award-winning producer, arranger, film, television composer, conductor, trumpet player, recording artist and humanitarian. In his 91 years, Q touched countless lives. He changed mine forever.”
“Quincy worked with so many music greats across multiple genres,” Smith continued. “Bringing the best out in legends from brother Ray Charles to Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie to Aretha Franklin, just name a few.” Smith also noted that Jones began his career in jazz, which eventually brought him to collaborate with Frank Sinatra. Smith then introduced Ervio and Hancock to cover the 1964 hit, “Fly Me to the Moon,” while Wilson and Collier collaborated on a country twist on Jones’ 1995 song “Let the Good Times Roll.”
As that tribute continued, Hancock joined Wonder for a mashup of “Bluesette,” before transitioning into the song “We Are the World.”
“You see the people there that day, Quincy told us to keep our egos out and at the door. And we are still the world. And I say to you: We’re still the children, we are still the people who fight and will die for this nation. So we definitely have to be able to celebrate each other,” Wonder said.
Lainey Wilson, Janelle Monáe, and Cynthia Erivo in February 2025. Christopher Polk/Billboard via Getty; JC Olivera/WireImage; JC Olivera/WireImage
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Monáe concluded the tribute with a cover of Michael Jackson‘s “Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough” and embraced the King of Pop’s energetic presence. She paid homage to both Jones and Jackson and channeled the Thriller singer’s signature moves — including an impressive moonwalk. “We love you, Quincy!” she shouted.
See PEOPLE’s full coverage of the 97th annual Academy Awards, hosted by Conan O’Brien and airing on ABC.
