NORAH JONES TO PERFORM NOMINATED SONG FROM "TED" LIVE ON OSCAR(R) TELECAST

Grammy(R) Award-winning singer-songwriter Norah Jones will perform "Everybody Needs a Best Friend" from the motion picture "Ted," telecast producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron announced today. "Everybody Needs a Best Friend," with music by Walter Murphy and lyrics by Seth MacFarlane, is nominated for an Original Song Oscar. This will be Jones' first time performing on an Oscar show.

"I had such a great time recording this song with Seth, and was thrilled to find out that it was nominated for an Oscar," said Jones. "Getting to perform it at such a prestigious event, which my friend is hosting, is a once in a lifetime opportunity."

"We are happy to have Norah Jones perform Seth's and Walter Murphy's nominated song on our Oscar telecast," said producers Zadan and Meron. "We are big admirers of Norah's singing, and she will help celebrate the unique circumstance of having an Oscar host who is also nominated for Best Original Song."

Jones emerged on the world stage with the 2002 release of her debut "Come Away with Me," which sold more than 10 million copies and earned her five Grammy Awards. Since then she has released a series of critically acclaimed and commercially successful solo albums - "Feels Like Home" (2004), "Not Too Late" (2007), "The Fall" (2009) and "Little Broken Hearts" (2012) - as well as two albums with her country collective, The Little Willies. The 2010 compilation "...Featuring Norah Jones" showcased her versatility through collaborations with artists as diverse as Willie Nelson, Outkast, Herbie Hancock and Foo Fighters. Jones' songs have been featured many times on motion picture soundtracks, and she made her feature film acting debut in "My Blueberry Nights" in 2007.

Oscars for outstanding film achievements of 2012 will be presented on Oscar Sunday, February 24, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center(R), and will be hosted by Seth MacFarlane live on the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.

ABOUT CRAIG ZADAN AND NEIL MERON:

Craig Zadan and Neil Meron are producers of critically acclaimed and award-winning feature films, television movies, series and Broadway productions. Their feature films include "The Bucket List," "Footloose," "Hairspray" and "Chicago," which won six Academy Awards, including Best Picture. For television, they've produced the films "Steel Magnolias," "Life with Judy Garland" and "A Raisin in the Sun," among many others, and the series "Smash" and "Drop Dead Diva." They recently returned to their roots in live theater by producing Broadway revivals of the Tony-winning "Promises, Promises" and the Tony-winning 50th Anniversary revival of "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying."

ABOUT THE ACADEMY

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is the world's preeminent movie-related organization, with a membership of more than 6,000 of the most accomplished men and women working in cinema. In addition to the annual Academy Awards - in which the members vote to select the nominees and winners - the Academy presents a diverse year-round slate of public programs, exhibitions and events; provides financial support to a wide range of other movie-related organizations and endeavors; acts as a neutral advocate in the advancement of motion picture technology; and, through its Margaret Herrick Library and Academy Film Archive, collects, preserves, restores and provides access to movies and items related to their history. Through these and other activities the Academy serves students, historians, the entertainment industry and people everywhere who love movies.