Oscars 2026 recap: A Maryland singer shines on Hollywood’s biggest night

Hollywood’s biggest night of the year was a pretty big night for Maryland, too.

Several local artists and performers contributed to winning films at Sunday’s 2026 Academy Awards. But perhaps most notable was Rei Ami: a 30-year-old Germantown native and University of Maryland alumna whose voice made up one-third of the massive hit song “Golden” from “KPop Demon Hunters.”

That hit went on to win best original song after Ami, joined by her fellow singers EJAE and Audrey Nuna, performed it before the biggest names in entertainment.

The performance topped off a whirlwind award season in which the Montgomery County native collected a Golden Globe Award, contributed to the first-ever K-Pop song to win a Grammy Award and scored Billboard’s Women of the Year Award, an accolade previously given to the likes of Beyoncé, Taylor Swift and Madonna.

Maryland was also represented by Baltimore-born “Sinners” hairstylist Tené Wilder, D.C. actress Jayme Lawson from “Sinners,” Disney exec Jared Bush of Gaithersburg for “Zootopia 2,″ “Arco” executive producer Natalie Portman, who attended school in Rockville and more.

Here’s everything you need to know about how Marylanders fared at the 2026 Academy Awards.

The first local win in a Maryland-stacked category

Strictly speaking, Maryland had a 2-in-5 chance of winning the best animated feature film category. While neither local nominee took home the prize, there’s still a local victory to be found.

“KPop Demon Hunters” landed its first win in the second category of the night. Ami herself wasn’t nominated, but she contributed to the film’s success — so we’ll call that a win for Maryland.

The record-breaking film beat out “Elio,” “Little Amélie or the Character of Rain,” “Arco,” featuring and produced by Portman (who attended Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School in Rockville), and “Zootopia 2,” written, co-directed and executive produced by Bush, Disney Animation Studios’ chief creative officer.

After viral Baltimore comment, ‘Sinners’ actress performs onstage

Jayme Lawson, who played Pearline in the record-breaking 16-time-nominated film “Sinners,” joined singer Miles Caton and writer Raphael Saadiq, along with other performers, on the Oscars stage to sing “I Lied To You.” The song from “Sinners” was one of five nominees for best original song, a category that also included “Golden,” from “KPop Demon Hunters.”

It was the first of two performances celebrating some of the best original song nominees. Artists including ballerina Misty Copeland, guitarist Brittany Howard and country singer/rapper Shaboozey joined the stage for a soulful homage to the blues that earned a standing ovation.

“Sinners” star and nominee Michael B. Jordan nodded in approval from the audience.

Lawson reignited the debate over whether Baltimore counts as part of the DMV last week in an interview in which she controversially claimed it was.

The actress and singer was born in D.C., attended the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in D.C. and grew up performing at theaters in and around Maryland, including the Publick Playhouse in Prince George’s County.

Baltimore’s ‘Sinners’ nominee loses to ‘Frankenstein’

Tené Wilder, the East Baltimore native who ran her own city salon, the Wilder Experience, for years, was a key hairstylist on the “Sinners” makeup and hairstyling team, which lost to “Frankenstein.”

“Sinners,” director Ryan Coogler’s horror-meets-music thriller set in Jim Crow-era Mississippi, was the most nominated movie in Oscars history. Also nominated in the makeup and hairstyling category: “The Smashing Machine,” “Kokuho” and “The Ugly Stepsister.”

After Wilder, who now lives in Atlanta, won an Emmy in 2021 for her work on the FX series “Pose,” the Academy Award became her next goal. “I said, ‘Oh, now I just need to get an Oscar,’” Wilder recalled in late December, before the nomination was announced. “I’m just waiting on that now.”

She’ll have to wait a bit longer.

‘The Wire’ actors honored in extended In Memoriam

The “In Memoriam” segment of award shows draws ire from viewers every year for either running too long or leaving out notable artists.

To quell complaints on both sides, the Academy has, in recent years, ended the segment with a link to its official website, where it shares an extended list of industry professionals who died in the past year.

This year’s extended In Memoriam included James Ransone, the Baltimore-born actor who played Ziggy Sobotka on Season 2 of HBO’s Baltimore crime show, “The Wire.” Ransone died Dec. 19 at age 46. Also mentioned: Bobby J. Brown, who played Baltimore Police officers on “The Wire” and “We Own This City.” The D.C.-born actor died last month in a barn fire in St. Mary’s County at age 62.

Baltimore composers contribute to winning short films

Baltimore-born musician Alex Somers, who composed for Netflix’s “Black Mirror” and “Nickel Boys” and Taylor Swift’s “Miss Americana” documentary, also crafted music for the best documentary short film winner, “All The Empty Rooms.”

And Island Styles, also a Baltimore-born musician who lived in D.C., served as composer and sound designer for “The Singers” — one of two (yes, two) best live-action short film winners.

Though the composers contributed to the film, Oscars in these categories are awarded only to directors and producers.

Rei Ami shines before ‘Golden’ win

”KPop Demon Hunters" won its second of two awards thanks to its victory in the best original song category.

Ami is featured prominently on the film’s record-breaking, hit song, “Golden,” though the best original song Oscars are given to the songwriters, not singers.

The Marylander still got her chance to shine at the Oscars. Ami joined her fellow “KPop Demon Hunters” singers EJAE and Audrey Nuna, and the trio donned all-white looks on a gold-covered stage for a glowing rendition of “Golden.”

Prior to an awards show that continuously and pointedly celebrated the global diversity of its nominated films, Ami reflected on the cultural implications of their song’s international success.

“People are recognizing how far K-pop can actually reach,” she told ABC on the red carpet. “It’s not just for Koreans; it’s not just for Asian communities. It’s for the world.”

This article has been updated.