Barbra Streisand (REUTERS file photo)

Veteran entertainer Barbra Streisand is preparing to return to the Academy Awards to sing at the show for the first time in 36 years.

The star last graced the Oscars stage in 1977, the year she won the Best Original Song honour for Evergreen from A Star Is Born, and she is set to thrill audiences once again during the 2013 prizegiving in Los Angeles on February 24.

Producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron state, "In an evening that celebrates the artistry of movies and music, how could the telecast be complete without Barbra Streisand? We are honoured that she has agreed to do a very special performance on this year's Oscars, her first time singing on the show in 36 years."

Streisand also won the 1969 Best Actress Academy Award for her role in Funny Girl.

The upcoming 85th Academy Awards ceremony will also reportedly feature a tribute to movie musicals of the past decade, with Chicago, Dreamgirls and the Oscar-nominated Les Miserables being showcased, as well as a special segment dedicated to the James Bond film franchise featuring a performance of new 007 theme tune Skyfall by Adele.