Gabriel says he won't perform at Oscars

Ten days to go an counting, and the "new" Oscars are already off to a rocky start:

The Associated Press reports that Peter Gabriel will not perform his Academy Award-nominated song "Down to Earth" from the Oscar-nominated "WALL-E."

The singer announced on his Web site that he's coming to the ceremony but won't sing, as a way to protest the revamped presentation of best original song contenders. Gabriel says in a video at http://petergabriel.com/ that he objects to the songs being shortened to 65 seconds apiece and made part of a medley.

"It’s a bit unfortunate because the songwriters, even though they’re a small part of the whole filmmaking process, we still work bloody hard and deserve a place in the ceremony as well," the 59-year-old singer said.

Gabriel, nominated alongside Thomas Newman for "Down To Earth," says he’ll still attend the Oscars, but is hoping a gospel choir will stand in for him onstage.

Organizers have warned that this year’s ceremony will be full of new twists, including the way categories are presented. The academy did not immediately respond Friday to a request for comment about Gabriel.

Also yesterday, there was a Q&A with host Hugh Jackman on AP in which he discussed some of the changes of this more intimate, nightclub-style celebration at the Kodak Theatre. 

"In terms of style, there’s a quantum shift happening this year, and fingers crossed we get a lot of it right. ... There’s an obvious amount of business that has to happen in the night. There’s 24 awards; you can’t change that. But I think Oscars could do a little more of the show in show biz. I think there’s been a little too much business," he said.

Peter Gabriel is the first person to say the producers are getting it wrong. As a nominee in a category with just three songs -- the other two are from "Slumdog Millionaire" -- you'd think he could be part of what makes up an entertaining show.

This category has been problematic from the moment that the nominees were announced and Bruce Springsteen's song for "The Wrestler" was absent.

I hope the producers will reconsider and give Gabriel his due.