Wicked stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo are set to perform at this year’s Oscars.

The duo, who starred as Glinda and Elphaba in the film adaptation of the musical last year, have been confirmed as performers at the biggest awards night of the year, having previously denied speculation when quizzed about it.

Also confirmed to be performing at the ceremony, which is taking place in Los Angeles on 2 March, are Doja Cat, Queen Latifah, British singer-songwriter Raye and Lisa of Blackpink – who is currently starring in season three of White Lotus.

There will also be a “special appearance” from the professional choir, the Los Angeles Master Chorale, the Academy announced on Tuesday.

In a slight break from tradition, this year’s ceremony will not include live performances of the best original song nominees, which include: El Mal from Emilia Perez, The Journey from The Six Triple Eight, Like a Bird from Sing Sing, Mi Camino from Emilia Perez and Never Too Late from Elton John: Never Too Late.

What each performer will sing or when is unknown, but it is expected that Erivo and Grande will perform at least one song from Wicked.

Defying Gravity spent four weeks in the Top 10 of the UK’s official chart and became a viral sensation.

This year’s ceremony could prove to be even bigger for the two actresses, as they are both nominated for awards.

Erivo is nominated for best actress and Grande for best supporting actress, both for their roles in part one of Wicked, which landed the largest opening weekend for a stage musical adaptation.

The second part of the film, Wicked: For Good, will be released in November this year.

Read more:
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The prison drama based on a true story

Wicked is up against tough competition at this year’s Oscars, with a mixture of films and actors already having claimed prizes at the BAFTAs, Golden Globes and SAG Awards.

It heads into the Oscars with 10 nominations, the same as period drama The Brutalist, while Emilia Perez, a Netflix film starring Zoe Saldana and Karla Sofia Gascon, has broken the record for the most nominated non-English language film in Oscars history with 13 nods.

Watch and follow live coverage of the 97th Oscars on Sky News on Sunday 2 March.

Donald Trump has shared a bizarre AI-generated video on his Truth Social platform showcasing what appears to be a vision of Gaza under his proposed plan.

The footage, which the 78-year-old shared without comment, shows the war-ravaged territory before a caption appears: “Gaza 2025… What’s Next?”

It then goes on to show the area transformed into a Middle Eastern paradise with exotic beaches, Dubai-style skyscrapers, luxury yachts and people partying.

It includes a “Trump Gaza” tower and a gigantic, golden statue of the US president – with miniature versions on sale in a souvenir gift shop.

A child is also shown walking in a street, holding a huge, golden balloon of the president’s head.

The video also features the world leader dancing with a scantily clad belly dancer in a bar – and sunbathing and sipping cocktails by a hotel resort pool with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Elon Musk appears in the footage several times – sitting on a beach eating humous with flatbreads as bearded belly dancers perform on the sand.

The billionaire boss of X, Tesla and SpaceX – who also leads the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) which has been tasked with cutting government spending – is also shown throwing dollar bills in the air for people.

A song written for the video also plays in the background.

The lyrics go: “Donald’s coming to set you free, bringing the light for all to see, no more tunnels, no more fear: Trump Gaza’s finally here.

“Trump Gaza’s shining bright, golden future, a brand new life.

“Feast and dance the deal is done, Trump Gaza number one.”

Sky News has established the video was first shared online in early February by accounts with no apparent connection to the White House.

Read more from Sky News:
Large bruise on Trump’s hand prompts speculation over health
What you need to know about Trump’s Gaza plan

Mr Trump announced his plan – for when the war between Israel and Hamas ends – earlier this year.

It includes relocating two million Gazans to neighbouring Arab countries and developing the territory into the “Riviera of the Middle East“.

He described Gaza as a “demolition site” where “virtually every building is down”.

Laying out his idea of what would happen beyond an Israel-Hamas ceasefire, he proposed: “The US will take over the Gaza Strip and we will do a job with it too.”

He said America would be “responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site”, before it would “get rid of the destroyed buildings”, and “level it out”.

“Everybody I’ve spoken to loves the idea of the United States owning that piece of land, developing and creating thousands of jobs,” he added.

The White House described the proposal as “out-of-the-box” and “visionary” – but it was condemned as the effective “ethnic cleansing” of Palestinians from Gaza.

Hamas described the proposals as “ridiculous and absurd” in a statement from one of its officials.

Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia, which as fellow Arab nations support the Palestinian cause, also rejected Mr Trump’s plan.

Read more:
Analysis: Trump’s Gaza plan is so outrageous it might be something bigger

There was a mixed reaction to the video in the comments section below.

One person wrote: “I don’t think that’s funny or cool. Sorry. Am I missing something??? I hope it’s a joke a bad joke..”

“I hate this. I love our president, but this is horrible,” said another.

One Truth Social user wrote: “Mr President while I appreciate what you do, is not about you. To God be the glory and the honor, for without Him, you couldn’t have accomplished anything. The statue is a symbol of the antichrist, please humble yourself to God. Jesus is king and only Him.”

“You’re doing great Mr President. But don’t let it get to your head. God put you in that position for His Glory, not yours,” said another.

“Can we transform our US cities to look like this 2025 vision first? Our cities are dumps with ugly buildings and homeless people,” wrote one user.

“Everything looks good, just stay away from these guys,” said another, reposting a screengrab of the bearded belly dancers.

Donald Trump has shared a bizarre AI-generated video on his Truth Social platform showcasing what appears to be a vision of Gaza under his proposed plan.

The footage, which the 78-year-old shared without comment, shows the war-ravaged territory before a caption appears: “Gaza 2025… What’s Next?”

It then goes on to show the area transformed into a Middle Eastern paradise with exotic beaches, Dubai-style skyscrapers, luxury yachts and people partying.

It includes a “Trump Gaza” tower and a gigantic, golden statue of the US president – with miniature versions on sale in a souvenir gift shop.

A child is also shown walking in a street, holding a huge, golden balloon of the president’s head.

The video also features the world leader dancing with a scantily clad belly dancer in a bar – and sunbathing and sipping cocktails by a hotel resort pool with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Elon Musk appears in the footage several times – sitting on a beach eating humous with flatbreads as bearded belly dancers perform on the sand.

The billionaire boss of X, Tesla and SpaceX – who also leads the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) which has been tasked with cutting government spending – is also shown throwing dollar bills in the air for people.

A song written for the video also plays in the background.

The lyrics go: “Donald’s coming to set you free, bringing the light for all to see, no more tunnels, no more fear: Trump Gaza’s finally here.

“Trump Gaza’s shining bright, golden future, a brand new life.

“Feast and dance the deal is done, Trump Gaza number one.”

Sky News has established the video was first shared online in early February by accounts with no apparent connection to the White House.

Read more from Sky News:
Large bruise on Trump’s hand prompts speculation over health
What you need to know about Trump’s Gaza plan

Mr Trump announced his plan – for when the war between Israel and Hamas ends – earlier this year.

It includes relocating two million Gazans to neighbouring Arab countries and developing the territory into the “Riviera of the Middle East“.

He described Gaza as a “demolition site” where “virtually every building is down”.

Laying out his idea of what would happen beyond an Israel-Hamas ceasefire, he proposed: “The US will take over the Gaza Strip and we will do a job with it too.”

He said America would be “responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site”, before it would “get rid of the destroyed buildings”, and “level it out”.

“Everybody I’ve spoken to loves the idea of the United States owning that piece of land, developing and creating thousands of jobs,” he added.

The White House described the proposal as “out-of-the-box” and “visionary” – but it was condemned as the effective “ethnic cleansing” of Palestinians from Gaza.

Hamas described the proposals as “ridiculous and absurd” in a statement from one of its officials.

Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia, which as fellow Arab nations support the Palestinian cause, also rejected Mr Trump’s plan.

Read more:
Analysis: Trump’s Gaza plan is so outrageous it might be something bigger

There was a mixed reaction to the video in the comments section below.

One person wrote: “I don’t think that’s funny or cool. Sorry. Am I missing something??? I hope it’s a joke a bad joke..”

“I hate this. I love our president, but this is horrible,” said another.

One Truth Social user wrote: “Mr President while I appreciate what you do, is not about you. To God be the glory and the honor, for without Him, you couldn’t have accomplished anything. The statue is a symbol of the antichrist, please humble yourself to God. Jesus is king and only Him.”

“You’re doing great Mr President. But don’t let it get to your head. God put you in that position for His Glory, not yours,” said another.

“Can we transform our US cities to look like this 2025 vision first? Our cities are dumps with ugly buildings and homeless people,” wrote one user.

“Everything looks good, just stay away from these guys,” said another, reposting a screengrab of the bearded belly dancers.