Oscars 2016: 'Manta Ray' and 'Simple Song 3' dropped from performances

The Oscar-nominated songs Manta Ray, from the documentary Racing Extinction, and Simple Song 3, from Paolo Sorrentino's Youth, will not be performed on the 88th Academy Awards.

The reason, according to a source: "time constraints", reported Variety. The Academy earlier announced that Lady Gaga, Sam Smith and the Weeknd would perform their nominated tunes from The Hunting Ground, Spectre and Fifty Shades of Grey, respectively, on the telecast.

A special performance by Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl has also been announced. Last week, the campaigns behind the two outlying original song nominees, performed by lesser-known acts, were informed they would not be part of the show.

Manta Ray  features music by two-time Oscar-nominated composer J Ralph, with lyrics by Antony Hegarty (aka Anohni), who also performs. Simple Song 3 was written by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer David Lang and performed by South Korean soprano Sumi Jo, a Grammy winner. But those credentials weren't enough to keep them on the programme.

Songs have been pulled from the Oscars a few times in the past, including J Ralph's own Before My Time from the 2012 documentary Chasing Ice. In 2010 and 2012, all nominees were removed from the rundown, while Eminem's Lose Yourself was the only exclusion on the 2003 telecast, because the hip-hop artist did not attend. He ultimately won the Oscar.

Read: Oscars 2016 - Who will win Best Original Song?

Also Read: Oscars 2016 - Here's what the winners will get besides the trophy