Music Director Rickey Minor Reveals Secret about Oscar Speech Music, Memories from Kennedy Center Honors

Rickey Minor served as music producer on Super Bowls, The Kennedy Honors, The Emmys, the Grammys, and The Oscars, including the 2024 ceremony. This year’s Oscars were extra special due to the placement of the orchestra on stage, which allowed the audience to see and hear the playing, changing the mood in the room. I talked to Minor about what it was like putting together this year’s iconic ceremony.

Awards Daily: How do you prepare to take on something like the Oscars?

Rickey Minor: I think you don’t. You surround yourself with the best people, you make a plan and count on everyone to deliver. It seems early, but whenever we get the call, we start working right away with the instrumentation we’re going to do, and we have an idea of what the nominees are going to be. So when the nominees come out, that’s when the work really gets intense.

Awards Daily: When the winners are announced, the winning film’s score is played. How do you prepare for potentially five different songs to be played?

Rickey Minor: We definitely do the research prior to find interesting pieces from those films. I know a lot of the composers so we have a talk with them and make certain that they are comfortable with our choices. There is so much material available within the score so it’s finding the right tone, and what we have done recently, at least since I’ve been doing it, is look at what the nominations are based on the number of nominations. If you have three nominations, there is one cue; if there are six nominations. two cues and so on, so that we have enough variation. Because even if they have 10 or 13 nominations, chances are they’re not going to win all of them. At the same time you want variation from all the great music from the film. This year, I think there were close to 180 cues, so that is a lot of music and that’s including the performance songs. Then, of course, there is the time’s up music, which no one really likes, including us. So we pre-record so no one can walk up to me and say ‘Why’d you play me off?’ I can say it wasn’t me!

Awards Daily: Among the live performances this year, “I’m Just Ken” made such a splash at the show and even online afterward. What was it like preparing for the live songs and the energy when it was being performed?

Rickey Minor: This year for me was something out of a dream really because the orchestra has generally been in the pit, and you’ll just get a wave from the conductor and a few shots, but it’s so dark down there that no one wants to show that on TV. Last year, moving the orchestra to the stage right, there was some visibility, but it was only for the audience at home. People in the room thought we were at Capitol Records again! I had to be, like, no, we were there! So it was nice that this time we were on stage and it gave an energy for us, and I think for the audience, too. The reverse shots of the orchestra and seeing the full audience behind me made us feel like we were part of the team. You think that it doesn’t matter, but there is a subconscious shift in energy and vibration when you can literally see the audience and they can see and hear that music coming off the stage; it’s otherworldly.

Awards Daily: The Video Game Awards always have their orchestra on stage before presenting Game of the Year, and you can really feel the energy in the room.

Rickey Minor: It really is. The producers were amazing and looking for ways to make it an inclusive environment, where everyone felt they were a part of it. So when working with some of the musicians, I try to bring in new people because if no one gives you an opportunity you’ll never learn. One of the younger players came in and said he had never been on a job where there was so much laughing going on. I said it’s music, it’s 12 notes, no one gets any more, we all have the same, so there was laughter and a lot of relaxing. That was with the pre-record. When I got them to the theater, I tried to keep him that way, but there’s a lot going on, so it’s more important to keep everyone focused but relaxed.

Each live song performance’s music director was just delightful to work with (they always are), but it was a very harmonious production with little ego involved this time. I think the music and the films chosen this year really resonated for the public, not just for us as musicians or people in the business. People loved these songs and loved these artists.

Awards Daily: So you’ve done a lot of awards shows: the Oscars, the Emmys, the Grammys. Do you follow the races for fun like some of the people on our site do?

Rickey Minor: No, because whatever is nominated, that is what it is for us. We have weekly meetings on what they think might be nominated. But in terms of me following it to see who I think might win, we wait. We assign things to different teams and then we get together and figure out what we’re going to do. I’m aware for sure through these meetings, but that’s it.

Awards Daily: What is it about doing all these award shows and live events that keeps you interested?

Rickey Minor: To be in this business is just a kick in the head! I love music. I started a band when I was 13, but when I was young, I tested for math, and I got a full scholarship to UCLA. But after 2 years I left to work in music and never looked back. I have said I would play music to the beginning of an envelope or would even do it for free (though I have bills so that’s a problem). I love the art of making music and how it makes me feel, and seeing how other people react like they need it! No matter what genre of music you like. You finish working, you put on a piece of music, it just settles things in.

Awards Daily: You’re also in the awards race this year—submitting the Oscars music production for an Emmy. You have won two Emmys before and have definitely been in the race. Is there anything different this time around?

Rickey Minor: Each time is a privilege. I do not take any of this for granted at all, because it doesn’t have to be me because there are a lot of great qualified people in there. I think the first time I did television was an HBO special with Whitney Houston in 1991. That was the first time I did something that could have been nominated. But I didn’t know how the process worked. So I thought they get these people in a room and they say ‘I like this,’ they say ‘I like that,’ and you get the nomination. It wasn’t until 2005 that I got my first nomination, and it was for a Ray Charles special that CBS had submitted. I didn’t know that part. So I became involved in the television academy as an officer, and now a second vice chair, so I know how it works. I am constantly looking for people who work in this business and tell them that this is their house. If I see someone’s work and I don’t know their name,, I’ll call them and make certain they’re in the union. We are really healthy in that way. For me I’m just happy to be playing music, and if I were never nominated, that would be all right, I’d still be grateful.

Awards Daily: Final thoughts?

Rickey Minor- I want to talk about The Kennedy Center. Working on the Kennedy Center Honors is different for me; it’s been 9 years working on this show. The first time I did something for them was in honor of Quincy Jones, and that was because he asked me to do his segment. After that though, nothing happened with them for a while. When I got the call to do it the first time, I did the whole show, I think, with George Lucas, which was such a big name. I was, like, are you sure? But I love doing that show because the honorees are so surprised by the performances. Carole King was one, and that was with the performance with Aretha Franklin, who I had worked with many times. In that moment you get to go inside and really celebrate the art, and with Carole, I knew that she had never heard Aretha play piano and sing. So I asked Aretha if she would play and sing to open the Honors. If you watch that (and I get chills thinking about it), Carole couldn’t believe it. She was raising her hand and looking at everyone like, she’s playing! Then her piano player would come out, and Aretha would come downstairs—and I didn’t know this part—but she was wearing this big fur, and she took it off and threw it to the ground in dramatic fashion. I know they have shown that clip many many times. So those are the moments I love because I get a chance to work with these people. Somebody asked me, working with these big artists like Jennifer Hudson, Cynthia Erivo, and Beyoncé must be nerve-racking, and how do you work with them since they’re so big they can just fire you? I said the job is actually easy, meet them right where they are, and I’m not trying to change it because they know what they’re doing, and just guide them back to the center. Because sometimes we get in our head about how it should be and so I meet them where they are and listen, listen, listen. Listen to what they want and then make that happen. That’s your job—to make it happen.