Watch top blues acts perform “I Lied To You” from “Sinners” at the Oscars

Blues stepped into the mainstream spotlight Sunday night at the 98th Academy Awards as the performance of the Oscar-nominated song “I Lied to You” from Sinners brought some of the genre’s most respected artists to one of entertainment’s biggest stages. The powerful performance earned a standing ovation inside the Dolby Theatre, marking a rare moment where blues commanded the center of the global spotlight.

Led by Miles Caton and Raphael Saadiq, the performance featured an impressive lineup that included blues titans Buddy Guy, Eric Gales, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, and Bobby Rush. The stage was further filled out by Brittany Howard, Shaboozey and Alice Smith, alongside appearances by Misty Copeland, Jayme Lawson and Li Jun Li. Together, the group delivered a performance that captured the spirit and musical energy of Sinners, blending blues, roots music and cinematic storytelling on one of the world’s most watched broadcasts.

For blues fans, it was a moment that felt both historic and long overdue. The genre, which has influenced nearly every major form of modern popular music, rarely receives this kind of visibility at events like the Oscars. Seeing legends like Buddy Guy and Bobby Rush share the stage with modern torchbearers such as Gales and Kingfish created a powerful bridge between generations of blues musicians.

The performance was tied to Sinners, the Ryan Coogler film that entered the night with a record-setting 16 Oscar nominations, the most of any film this year. Sinners took home four Oscars, including “Best Original Score.” The live rendition of “I Lied to You” served as a musical centerpiece that reflected the film’s deep connection to blues and American roots music.

Moments like this do not happen often for the blues. While the genre’s influence is everywhere in popular music, it rarely receives such a prominent stage in front of a worldwide audience. The standing ovation that followed Sunday night’s performance felt like a recognition not just of the artists on stage, but of the enduring power and cultural importance of the blues itself.

Watch the full performance below.

Following the performance, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram took to social media, writing, “That was truly unreal.”

Eric Gales told Blues Rock Review after the performance, “Needless to say, this was THE most iconic moment of my entire career. Wow, I’m elated and grateful to the highest degree.”