![\"Olawamodupe](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1024x768_DupeDynasty.jpg\" "\\"Olawamodupe")
Oluwamodupe Oloyede flashes the “dynasty” sign in front of Dolby Theater making sure\n to represent her sorority Delta Sigma Theta, Inc. (Photo special to FAMU)<\/p>\n
Awestruck.<\/p>\n
Oluwamodupe \u201cDupe\u201d Oloyede, a senior theater major at Florida A&M University, found herself in awe of the magnitude
\n of what was unfolding in her life.<\/p>\n
The first female head drum major of the legendary Marching 100 has spent the year
\n commanding attention on fields, stages and screens across the country. Still, even
\n for someone accustomed to leading one of the most iconic marching bands in the world,
\n nothing could have prepared her for the 98th Academy Awards on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Yet that is exactly where Oloyede found herself.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I received the call, I could not believe it. Performing at the Oscars is a once
\n in a lifetime opportunity and it was offered to me. God is so amazing. This is affirmation
\n that I\u2019m supposed to be here and this is what I want to do,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Her journey to Hollywood followed a season of undeniable \u201cmotion\u201d as some students
\n would describe it. The Marching 100 was featured in a Lionsgate promotion for the
\n upcoming film \u201cMichael.\u201d The band also appeared in an NBA on Prime segment performing
\n the show\u2019s theme song, \u201cVictory,\u201d written in part by FAMU alum and Grammy Award winner
\n Common. Oloyede lent her voice to the opening narration.<\/p>\n
At the same time, her performances were gaining traction online. Her commanding field
\n presence, theatrical precision and magnetic energy transformed halftime moments into
\n viral highlights.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen it\u2019s happening, I\u2019m not trying to go viral. I\u2019m just in the moment, focused
\n on being the best at everything I do. From that, people connect with it, and before
\n you know it, the videos are everywhere,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Oluwamodupe Oloyede flashes the “dynasty” sign in front of Dolby Theater making sure
\n to represent her sorority Delta Sigma Theta, Inc. (Photo special to FAMU)<\/p>\n
Like when she pledged the Beta Alpha Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. A
\n video from their new initiate presentation, where she proudly represented the Marching
\n 100, blowing her whistle and swinging her baton, quickly amassed millions of views
\n and hundreds of thousands of likes.<\/p>\n
That milestone would open another door.<\/p>\n
A creative director took notice, and soon after, Oloyede received an invitation to
\n join the cast of the \u201cSinners\u201d musical performance at the Oscars.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt took a lot for me to get here and it was not the easiest process. I only had a
\n few hours to be on a plane, but I was not going to let time or space stop me,\u201d she
\n said. \u201cI\u2019ve waited my whole life for a moment like this.\u201d<\/p>\n
And what a moment it was.<\/p>\n
Backstage in the hair and makeup room, surrounded by performers dressed in costumes
\n inspired by African artistry and historic dance traditions, Oloyede paused to take
\n it all in. Sitting quietly as her makeup was finalized, she centered herself before
\n appearing on one of the most revered stages in entertainment.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI am very grateful that he listened to my last-minute changes to the look,\u201d said
\n Oloyede, referring to her makeup artist. \u201cI feel like myself. I feel like I am about
\n to go on and dominate the show.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Dupe](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1024x768_DupeMakeup.jpg\" "\\"Dupe")
Oluwamodupe “Dupe” Oloyede spoke with her makeup artist, Rory, to make sure she had
\n a look that she loved. (Photo special to FAMU)<\/p>\n
The performance reimagined the film\u2019s juke joint scene, blending multiple musical
\n genres into a sweeping cultural showcase. It moved through generations of Black music
\n and dance, calling on the ancestors and creating a powerful visual and sonic montage.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Artists like Nigerian-American Shaboozey and multi-hyphenate songwriter Raphael Saadiq
\n shared the stage with actor Miles Canton, blues legends Bobby Rush and Christone \u201cKingfish\u201d
\n Ingram, and famed ballerina Misty Copeland.<\/p>\n
For Oloyede, the experience felt otherworldly.<\/p>\n
\u201cI saw all these beautiful Black people masterfully performing. I was in a room full
\n of people who are at the Oscars, like they’re in movies and films. I winked at Damson
\n Idris,\u201d she said, then giggled. \u201cThat is crazy. I was in front of Michael B. Jordan.
\n I was on a stage with Miles (Canton). I basically saw the whole cast of Sinners.\u201d<\/p>\n
As the moment settled, excitement shifted to thanksgiving.<\/p>\n
\u201cI still can\u2019t believe it\u2019s over. It\u2019s finally happened, and I\u2019m just trying to stay
\n in a posture of gratitude that I was even here. My first time in Los Angeles was to
\n perform at the Oscars,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cGod has been more than gracious, more than kind, and the people who helped me get
\n here have been incredible. It\u2019s just amazing. I\u2019m standing in this surreal space of
\n thinking, \u2018Wow, I have to go back to school next week.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Even after the curtain closed, she was still on a high.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t want the night to be over,\u201d she said. \u201cI want to go outside and see more
\n people and leave with no regrets.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Dupe](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1024x768_DupeandCast.jpg\" "\\"Dupe")
The “Sinners” cast exploded with joy after their performance then regrouped for cast
\n photos for souvenirs of a memorable moment. (Photo special to FAMU)<\/p>\n
Her Oscars appearance is just one chapter in a remarkable stretch of accomplishments.<\/p>\n
Oloyede is also featured in the College Football Hall of Fame in her hometown of Atlanta,
\n which she plans to visit with her family during spring break. She recently received
\n a Trailblazer Award from the Oasis Center for Women and Girls, a nonprofit organization
\n supporting women through housing and life challenges. The recognition included something
\n she once imagined in passing \u2014 a billboard.<\/p>\n
\u201cI saw a billboard with Hugh Jackman on it and said, \u2018I want to be on billboards,\u2019\u201d
\n she recalled.<\/p>\n
Soon after, she learned she would be.<\/p>\n
That news followed disappointment after discovering she would not advance in an audition
\n for the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale. Within hours, however, the Trailblazer
\n honor arrived, a reminder that one closed door can quickly give way to another opportunity.<\/p>\n
\u201cLook at God,\u201d she said. \u201cWhat God cannot do does not exist.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"Olowamodupe](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1024x768_DupeOscarBackdrop.jpg\" "\\"Olowamodupe")
Standing at the Oscars step-and-repeat, Olowamodupe Oloyede takes in the surreal moment.
\n (Photo special to FAMU)<\/p>\n
Through it all, Oloyede credits the support of the FAMU community.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m very grateful to the university,\u201d she said. \u201cThey showered me with so much support.\u201d<\/p>\n
She also offered special thanks to President Marva Johnson, J.D.; Special Assistant
\n to the President Angela Suggs; Marching 100 Director Shelby Chipman; the Office of
\n Communications; and Los Angeles-based alumni Jocelyn Coleman and Greg Anderson, along
\n with a host of administrators, friends and family who helped her have a successful
\n and \u201cmind-blowing\u201d weekend.<\/p>\n
That support, she says, has shaped more than her education.<\/p>\n
\u201cI really think God brought me to FAMU to answer more than just the prayer of education
\n and band,\u201d she reflected. \u201cAnd I learned from this experience that I’m not alone\u201d<\/p>\n
As she prepares to graduate in May, Oloyede carries with her a moment few performers
\n ever experience: stepping onto one of the world\u2019s most celebrated stages.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe past four weeks have been astounding. I don’t know what’s next. So, I pray that
\n the Lord orders my steps, connects me with the people I need to be with, gives us
\n wisdom, discernment, and all the things, and that we get to a party tonight,\u201d she
\n said, then laughs.<\/p>\n
If her senior year is any indication, Oloyede\u2019s next chapter will be just as extraordinary.<\/p>\n
![\"Oluwamodupe](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1024x768_RodeoDrive.jpg\" "\\"Oluwamodupe")
Making sure she caught some of California’s notable sights, Olowumodupe Oloyede hit
\n Rodeo Drive. (Photo special to FAMU)<\/p>\n
Media Contact:<\/p>\n
Rachel James-Terry
Senior Director of Strategic Communications
rachel.jamesterry@famu.edu<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n