The Real Reason Bob Dylan Rejected Invite To Perform and Present at the 2025 Oscars

While the 2025 Academy Awards celebrated films like Wicked and The Brutalist, the night also celebrated the legacy of Bob Dylan. Although not one for the spotlight, Dylan produced a lasting impact on the music industry over the decades. And even with the star being 83 years old, he continues to perform. Having spent over six decades in music, director James Mangold decided to turn the singer’s life into a hit film featuring Timothée Chalamet. With the film A Complete Unknown up for a few awards, it appears that Dylan declined to present and perform at the Oscars. 

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Walking into the Oscars, A Complete Unknown was up for eight awards. And that was including the coveted Best Picture award. Although a glimpse into the life of Dylan, the singer didn’t seem interested in showing up. According to Mick Jagger, of the Rolling Stones, “I’m greatly honoured to be invited to give this award for the Best Original Song tonight, and much as I love doing it, I wasn’t the first choice to give this award out.”

An icon himself, it appeared somewhat confusing who the Oscars would want over Jagger, but the star continued, “The producers wanted Bob Dylan to do it. Bob didn’t want to do it because he’s had the best songs this year, well, obviously, in the movie A Complete Unknown.” He added, “Bob said, ‘You should find somebody younger.’ I said, ‘OK, I’m younger.’ So here I am.”

[RELATED: 3 Essential Bob Dylan Albums for Anyone Trying To Start a Collection]

Bob Dylan A No Show As ‘A Complete Unknown’ Goes Home Empty-Handed

Although Dylan didn’t show up, Chalamet soaked in the night as the host for the evening Conan O’Brien used his time on the stage to poke fun at the singer. “To play Bob Dylan, Timothée Chalamet learned how to sing. In fact, the singing was so good he almost lost the part. Dylan wanted to be here tonight, but not that badly.”

Besides Dylan’s absence, the night didn’t go all that well for A Complete Unknown. Up for eight awards, the film lost to The Brutalist and ended up not winning a single award. Leaving with nothing, the film was considered a hit in theaters with Dylan fans loving what Mangold and Chalamet produced.

(Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images for VH1)