Rickey Minor will return as music director of the 2024 Oscars, set to air live on ABC on Sunday, March 10, at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood. Minor also served as music director last year.
Minor has received 15 Primetime Emmy nominations for outstanding music direction, winning twice. He has been nominated three times for his work on the Oscars, three times for The Kennedy Center Honors, twice for the Grammy Awards and twice for “Grammy Salutes” specials to the Bee Gees and Aretha Franklin. He has also been nominated for the following specials: Genius: A Night for Ray Charles, An Evening of Stars: Tribute to Chaka Khan, Smithsonian Salutes Ray Charles: In Performance at the White House, Taking the Stage: African American Music and Stories That Changed America and Celebrating America – An Inauguration Night Special.
The Oscars’ executive producer and showrunner is Raj Kapoor, who has been associated with the Oscars telecast for seven years. Kapoor has been one of three executive producers (along with Ben Winston and Jesse Collins) of the Grammy Awards the last three years. Kapoor won his first Primetime Emmy two years ago as an executive producer of Adele: One Night Only, which won as outstanding variety special (pre-recorded).
The Oscars’ director is Hamish Hamilton, who has directed the Grammys in three of the last four years. Hamilton won his first Primetime Emmy last month when he won outstanding directing for a variety special (along with Jay-Z) for The Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show Starring Rihanna.
Kapoor and fellow executive producers Molly McNearney and Katy Mullan also announced other key members of their production team for the 96th Oscars, which Jimmy Kimmel is hosting for the fourth time.
Rob Paine returns as co-executive producer, and Taryn Hurd returns as talent producer. Producers Sarah Levine Hall, Erin Irwin and Jennifer Sharron and lighting designers Bob Dickinson and Noah Mitz also rejoin the team. The team also includes production designers Misty Buckley and Alana Billingsley.
The Academy announced that there will be 24 (count ’em) writers on this year’s Oscar telecast (so the show had better be funny). The platoon of writers includes Kimmel, so it probably will be.