Bob Dylan was noticeably absent from the Oscars, considering a bipoc about his life was up for major awards.
On March 3, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that the “Mr. Tambourine Man” singer was invited to sing and perform at the 2025 Academy Awards but declined both offers.
PEOPLE reached out to the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences for comment and did not receive an immediate response.
Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger joked about taking his place — and not without poking fun at their octogenarian statuses. “I’m greatly honored to be invited to give this award for the Best Original Song tonight,” he said. “As much as I love doing it, I wasn’t the first choice to give this award out.”
Richard Harbaugh/The Academy via Getty
Mick Jagger in 2025
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“The producers wanted Bob Dylan to do it, but Bob didn’t want to,” Jagger joked ahead of presenting the Oscar for Best Original Song, “because he said ‘The best songs this year are obviously in A Complete Unknown. You should find somebody younger.’ I said, ‘OK, I’m younger than Bob! I’ll do it!’ So here I am.”
Jagger, a spry 81, stepped in for the 83-year-old Dylan, who’s known to make few public appearances.
Host Conan O’Brien also joked about Dylan’s absence. “Dylan wanted to be here tonight, but not that badly,” the comedian said.
The awards show ceremony also notably didn’t feature any of the Best Original Song nominees performances on Sunday, March 2. Emilia Pérez‘s “El Mal” and “Mi Camino,” The Six Triple Eight‘s “The Journey,” Sing Sing‘s “Like a Bird” and Elton John: Never Too Late‘s “Never Too Late” were contenders in the category.
Gary Miller/Getty
Bob Dylan in 2023
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The Dylan biopic, A Complete Unknown, was nominated for eight Academy Awards at the ceremony, including best actor for Timothée Chalamet, best picture and best director for James Mangold.
In preparing for A Complete Unknown, Chalamet, 29, said that he didn’t use a cell phone for three months. “I had three months to play this guy, and then the rest of my life, I never get to play him again. So I was locked in,” he said during an interview with This Past Weekend w/Theo Von which aired in December 2024.
“You never want to say you’re competitive, but there’s been a lot of music biopics, and I wanted to do a great f—ing job. I love Bob Dylan,” Chalamet added. “None of this is for granted.”
Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures
Timothée Chalamet in ‘A Complete Unknown’
Chalamet also shared that he gained 20 lbs for the role and reportedly wore a leather jacket previously owned by Dylan while attending a Los Angeles Lakers game in Ferbrary, leaning into method dressing.
A Complete Unknown is in theaters and expected to hit streaming services in the coming weeks.
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