Tony Bennett To Perform At Oscars’ Governors Ball

Photo: Richard Harbaugh / ©A.M.P.A.S.

Beverly Hills, CA – Tony Bennett will perform at the Governors Ball, the celebration that will follow the 84th Academy Awards® presentation on Oscar Sunday, February 26, Academy President Tom Sherak announced today.

“Tony Bennett is that rare artist who truly reaches across generations,” said Sherak. “Welcoming him to the Ball is an honor and privilege.”

Bennett, who recently celebrated his 85th birthday, made music history last September when his “Duets II” album debuted at #1 on the Billboard charts, distinguishing him as the oldest artist to achieve the top position. Earlier this month he won his 16th and 17th Grammy® Awards: Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for “Duets II” and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for “Body and Soul,” recorded with the late Amy Winehouse. Bennett earned his first Grammy in 1962 for “I Left My Heart in San Francisco.”

Bennett also is a two-time Emmy® Award winner, a Kennedy Center Honoree and an NEA Jazz Master. His dozens of albums have sold millions of copies worldwide.

Bennett will perform for the Ball’s 1,500 guests, which will include Oscar winners and nominees, show presenters and performers, and other luminaries. The Ball will be held in the Grand Ballroom on the top level of the Hollywood & Highland Center®.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, from the Hollywood & Highland Center, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.