'Still unbelievable to us': Scott George and Osage Singers excited to perform 'Flower Moon' song at Oscars

Hollywood’s biggest night will be an unforgettable night for Scott George and the Osage Singers.

George and the Osage Singers will be among musical performers during the 96th Academy Awards, which will air live at 6 p.m. Sunday, March 10, on ABC.

They will be a slice of the ceremony because their song — “Wahzhazhe (A Song For My People)” from “Killers of the Flower Moon” — earned an Oscar nomination for best original song.

All songs nominated in the category will be performed during the Academy Awards ceremony. George said it’s “still unbelievable to us” that he and the Osage Singers will be part of the Oscars.

It should be a night they’ll remember the rest of their lives.

Asked to put it all in perspective, George said, “That’s going to be difficult for me. I/we didn’t aspire to be considered in the same breath or level with the performers, actors and directors that will be present that night. I feel like the decision a songwriter makes to give voice to a movie is one that comes from being around that business for some time and can see how the music and film interact. In our case, we were doing what we have always done and Martin Scorsese found a way to allow us to enhance the film. So, apart from being excited, nervous and overwhelmed, I think we will remember our opportunity and the great people we had the chance to meet and work with the most.”

Based on David Grann’s bestselling book of the same name, “Killers of the Flower Moon” depicted serial murders of the oil-wealthy Osage in 1920s Oklahoma.

Shot primarily in Pawhuska, the film earned a best picture nomination and nine other nominations — best director, best actress (Lily Gladstone), best supporting actor (Robert De Niro), best original song, film editing, cinematography, production design, costume design and best original score.

Scorsese drew praise for including the Osage before and during the making of “Killers of the Flower Moon.” The Osage language is spoken in the film. Other aspects of Osage culture are reflected accurately, including the costume design.

“The movie ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ has placed a spotlight on our Nation and our culture, which has existed for centuries,” George said in a past Tulsa World interview.

Now George and the Osage Singers are being granted an Academy Awards platform to share an Osage song, and therefore Osage culture, with a global audience.

“We have held onto our culture as best as we can and have seen several renaissances in my lifetime where the number of dancers, craftsmen and singers has increased sometime exponentially,” George said. “So to share this on the global stage, I think the message is that through the prayers of our elders and the efforts of our tribal government, we can survive, thrive and still maintain our cultural identity.”

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“Wahzhazhe (A Song For My People)” was shortlisted for Oscar consideration in December. George and the Osage Singers learned Jan. 23 that the song had survived the cut to secure a nomination. That gave them about a month and a half to prepare for the ceremony.

“The good thing about performing at something you have been doing for over 40 years, there’s not a lot of preparation and rehearsal needed,” George said. “Now, when they tell you you only have a small window to fit your song into, that took some thought and rehearsal to make it sound the way we wanted. But once we found what we needed to do to make it fit, a few times through allowed us to get comfortable with it.”

Is he more excited or more nervous?

“Excited! But once in a while the nerves creep up and hit me, leaving me wondering what am I doing. Is this real? it’s still unbelievable to me.”

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