One month after her Super Bowl LVII halftime performance, Rihanna stepped out on the Oscars stage to deliver a heartfelt tribute to late Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman. Rihanna’s rendition of “Lift Me Up” from the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack resonated with a subtle yet deeply impactful power during her performance.
Her song was up for best original song, which she co-wrote with Nigerian singer Tems, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever director Ryan Coogler, and composer Ludwig Goransson. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to win the award.
Chadwick Boseman
Rihanna paid tribute to late Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman with a soaring performance of his Oscar-nominated ballad, “Lift Me Up,” at the 95th Academy Awards. The song, co-written by Nigerian singer-songwriter Tems, composer Ludwig Goransson and Wakanda Forever director Ryan Coogler, is dedicated to the actor, who died of colon cancer in 2020.
The 35-year-old pop princess, who was visibly pregnant, wore a sparkly Maison Margiela ensemble custom designed by John Galliano for the show. Her stunning maternity style was perfectly complementing her powerful vocals, which earned a standing ovation from the audience, including boyfriend A$AP Rocky.
A musical prodigy, Rihanna first formed a band at the age of 15 with two classmates. In 2003, her group was introduced to record producer Evan Rogers, who was vacationing in Barbados with his wife. The music executive signed the girls to Def Jam and she went on to become an international superstar with her first two albums Good Girl Gone Bad (2005) and A Girl Like Me (2006).
Rihanna
Rihanna gave a touching tribute to Chadwick Boseman with a “Lift Me Up” performance at the 2023 Oscars. The singer wore a custom Maison Margiela ensemble as she took the stage to perform the Oscar-nominated ballad from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
In a poignant moment of her performance, the Fenty magnate paid homage to the departed actor, who succumbed to cancer at the age of 43 in 2020. Rihanna was accompanied by a fan, strings and supporting vocalists as she sang her heart out on stage.
As she performed, the audience was ecstatic and Rihanna earned loud applause from all the seats at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. She was even joined by her partner, A$AP Rocky, who raised a glass of champagne in her honor.
Her “Lift Me Up” performance is one of the most heartwarming moments from the 2023 Oscars. Though she didn’t win the Best Original Song award, it was a touching moment that will be remembered for a long time.
A$AP Rocky
A month after she blew the world away with her Super Bowl halftime performance, Rihanna returned to the stage on Sunday night to honor Chadwick Boseman at the 95th Academy Awards. She performed the Oscar-nominated song “Lift Me Up,” from the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack, on the big stage at the Dolby Theatre, and she looked absolutely incredible.
She wore a custom Maison Margiela Artisanal piece, with diamonds from head to toe, created for her by John Galliano. She was a beautiful sight to behold, and she brought the Dolby Theatre to tears.
Rihanna was introduced by Danai Gurira, who paid tribute to Boseman in her introduction. Then, the star sang the heart-wrenching ballad from center stage at the Dolby Theater, with a chorus of backup singers and an orchestra.
The Oscars
The Oscars, or the Academy Awards, are the most prestigious and revered award ceremonies in the world. First presented in 1929, the Oscars are honors for superior film work determined annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Broadcasted in real-time, the esteemed awards ceremony is under the purview of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Only members of the AMPAS are eligible to vote for nominees, which include Best Actor/Actress, Supporting Actor/Actress, Makeup/Hairstyles, Cinematography, Directing, Editing, Original Screenplay, Sound Mixing and Music.
Boseman became a rising star after portraying Marvel’s T’Challa/Black Panther, king of the fictional African country Wakanda. He also portrayed Jackie Robinson in the biopic 42 (2013), James Brown in Get On Up (2014) and Thurgood Marshall in Marshall (2017).
Streaming giant Netflix boosted its presence in the Academy Awards by nominating and winning big for both All Quiet on the Western Front and Ana de Armas’s Blonde, but the nominations went to some of Hollywood’s stalwarts as well, including veteran actresses Michelle Yeoh and Glenn Close. And, to some extent, the Academy hoped that the influx of new stars would help its ratings revive after years of dropping viewership.
