Oprah Winfrey is catching heat online after a heartfelt tribute to the late music icon Quincy Jones at the Oscars, which notably left out any mention of Michael Jackson.
The legendary music producer was honored with a touching musical tribute during the 97th Academy Awards on Sunday night (March 2).
Queen Latifah paid tribute by performing “Ease on Down the Road” from The Wiz, a film for which Jones was nominated for an Oscar for his Broadway adaptation.
Queen Latifah performs “Ease on Down the Road” at the #Oscars in honor of the late Quincy Jones pic.twitter.com/fxgBBIt8vg
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) March 3, 2025
Oprah Winfrey and Whoopi Goldberg, both stars of The Color Purple, reunited to introduce Latifah’s performance. Jones composed the score for the 1985 film, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year.
“The man, our beloved Q, had an equally powerful impact on the world of film as a composer and producer,” Winfrey said.
Goldberg added, “When we talk about Black excellence, we’re talking about Quincy.”
However, while Winfrey highlighted “musical genius” Jones’ collaborations with legends such as Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald and Ray Charles, as well as his creation of iconic works like “We Are the World,” there was no mention of Michael Jackson.
“When we talk about Black excellence, we’re talking about Quincy.”
Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey pay tribute to the late Quincy Jones — the first Black composer nominated for an Oscar in the original song category in 1967.#Oscarshttps://t.co/nl9CxOviL4 pic.twitter.com/dhyUz26Pgj
— ABC News (@ABC) March 3, 2025
Oprah Winfrey Called Out For Not Mentioning Michael Jackson
This omission didn’t go unnoticed, with critics quickly taking to social media to call out Winfrey, especially given that Michael Jackson had famously performed the song (alongside Diana Ross) that Winfrey introduced.
One of Quincy Jones’ most significant contributions to pop music was producing Michael Jackson’s Thriller, which remains one of the best-selling albums of all time.
Jones also produced Jackson’s Off the Wall, and Bad albums after marking the beginning of their collaboration on The Wiz.
Their partnership not only propelled Jackson to the title of “King of Pop,” but also helped shape the iconic sound of 1980s pop music.
Although Michael Jackson sat with Oprah Winfrey for a groundbreaking interview in 1993, the relationship was called into question years after his death.
In 2019, Winfrey hosted a special called After Neverland, where she interviewed Wade Robson and James Safechuck, two men who accused Jackson of sexually abusing them as children. This special was seen by some Jackson supporters as a betrayal, given Oprah’s previous friendly relationship with the Jackson family.
