ORIGINAL SONG Nominees:
| “It Never Went Away” from “American Symphony” Performed by Jon Batiste Music and Lyrics by Jon Batiste & Dan Wilson |
| “Dear Alien (Who Art In Heaven)” from “Asteroid City” Performed by Jarvis Cocker, Jean Yves Lozac’h, Perè Mallén, Preston George Mota, Rupert Friend, & Seu Jorge Music and Lyrics by Jarvis Cocker, Richard Hawley, & Wes Anderson |
| “Dance The Night” from “Barbie” Performed by Dua Lipa Music and Lyrics by Mark Ronson, Andrew Wyatt, Caroline Ailin, & Dua Lipa |
| “I’m Just Ken” from “Barbie” Performed by Ryan Gosling Music and Lyrics by Mark Ronson, Andrew Wyatt, Caroline Ailin, & Dua Lipa |
| “What Was I Made For?” from “Barbie” Performed by Billie Eilish Music and Lyrics by Billie Eilish & Finneas O’Connell |
| “Keep It Movin” from “The Color Purple” Performed by Halle Bailey & Phylicia Pearl Mpasi Music and Lyrics by Brittany Coney, Denisia Andrews, Halle Bailey, & Morten Ristorp |
| “(Superpower) I” from “The Color Purple” Performed by Fantasia Barrino Music and Lyrics by Kuk Harrell & The-Dream (Terius Youngdell Nash) |
| “The Fire Inside” from “Flamin’ Hot” Performed by Becky G Music and Lyrics by Diane Warren |
| “High Life” from “Flora and Son” Performed by Eve Hewson & Orén Kinlan Music and Lyrics by Eve Hewson, Gary Clark, & John Carney |
| “Meet In The Middle” from “Flora and Son” Performed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt & Eve Hewson Music and Lyrics by Eve Hewson, Gary Clark, John Carney, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, & Robert John Ardiff |
| “Can’t Catch Me Now” from “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes” Performed by Olivia Rodrigo Music and Lyrics by Olivia Rodrigo & Dan Nigro |
| “Wahzhazhe (A Song For My People)” from “Killers of the Flower Moon” Performed by Osage Tribal Singers Music and Lyrics by Robbie Robertson |
| “Quiet Eyes” from “Past Lives” Performed by Sharon Van Etten Music and Lyrics by Sharon Van Etten & Zachary Dawes |
| “Road To Freedom” from “Rustin” Performed by Lenny Kravitz Music and Lyrics by Lenny Kravitz |
| “Am I Dreaming” from “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” Performed by Metro Boomin, ASAP Rocky & Roisee Music and Lyrics by Leland Wayne, Rakim Mayers, Uriel Brush, Mike Dean, Peter Lee Johnson, & Landon Wayne |
Per the Academy’s press release:
15 songs will advance in the Original Song category for the 96th Academy Awards. 94 songs were eligible in the category. Members of the Music Branch vote to determine the shortlist and the nominees.
Each shortlist is determined by members of that corresponding branch, except for International Feature Film and Live Action Short Film. (Members from all branches are invited to participate in the preliminary round of voting and must meet a minimum viewing requirement to be eligible to vote in the category.)
The nominations for the 96th Oscars will be announced on Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024, while the Oscars ceremony will be held on Sunday, March 10, 2024 at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood and will be televised live on ABC and in more than 200 territories worldwide.
OSCAR NOMINATION PREDICTIONS
“It Never Went Away”
from “American Symphony”
Jon Batiste
Dan Wilson
Netflix
“I’m Just Ken”
from “Barbie”
Ryan Gosling
Mark Ronson
Andrew Wyatt
Caroline Ailin
Dua Lipa
Warner Bros. Pictures
“What Was I Made For?”
from “Barbie”
Billie Eilish
Finneas O’Connell
Warner Bros. Pictures
“Can’t Catch Me Now”
from “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes”
Olivia Rodrigo
Dan Nigro
Lionsgate
“Road To Freedom”
from “Rustin”
Lenny Kravitz
Netflix
WHY I CHOSE THOSE FIVE?
Of all the songs from films this year, I thought that “This Wish,” performed by Ariana DeBose from the Walt Disney feature “Wish,” would get nominated. It’s an anthem to dreaming, wishing upon a star, and perfectly encapsulates a century of Disney providing us all entertainment. But “Wish” was dismissed. And thus, the song remains off the shortlist. I would have loved to see DeBose perform it at the Oscars. Instead, Diane Warren and her collaboration with Becky G from the film no one saw titled “Flamin’ Hot” got a nomination because a year can’t go by without nominating Warren for an award that it seems she will never win.
The big contender is “Barbie,” with three original songs making the cut. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if the trio all landed nominations, but to spread the love a little bit, I’m just picking “What Was I Made For?” (the one I hope takes it all) and “I’m Just Ken,” which is a great song and unfortunately will probably end up winning the whole thing. I find it ironic that the song about Ken will win the award over the much better-written and more touching tribute to Barbie in “What Was I Made For?” However, Billie Eilish has won before, so hopefully, the Academy continues to show her love.
I can’t bring myself to pick Warren’s song from “Flamin’ Hot,” even though it will likely get a nomination, so instead, I’m going with another well-written song from a young pop artist in “Can’t Catch Me Now” by Olivia Rodrigo from “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.” It fits the film perfectly, and the former Disney star performs it well. As a massive fan of Jon Batiste, whom the Academy has also shown previous love (“Soul”), I think he’s got a good chance of getting a nomination for his song from the documentary “American Symphony,” which I have yet to see but have a feeling will be a punch to the heart.
Another film I haven’t seen in “Rustin” is garnering some attention, not just for Colman Domingo’s performance, which might land him a leading actor nomination, but for the anthem Lenny Kravitz provided with “Road To Freedom.” Although the song is not my personal favorite, I see its draw and can already picture the Oscars stage filled with the choir as they sing the chorus. If the last spot doesn’t go to the final “Barbie” song, I could also see something from “The Color Purple” getting in, or the Academy’s previous love for John Carney (“Once”) could come through in nominating one of his songs from “Flora and Son,” which I have heard great things about, or “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” could swoop in and take it with “Am I Dreaming.”
“It Never Went Away”
from “American Symphony”
Performed by Jon Batiste
Music and Lyrics by Jon Batiste & Dan Wilson
November 24, 2023
Directed by Matthew Heineman
Produced by Matthew Heineman, Lauren Domino, and Joedan Okun
Netflix
Synopsis: In this deeply intimate documentary, musician Jon Batiste attempts to compose a symphony as his wife, writer Suleika Jaouad, undergoes cancer treatment.
“Dear Alien (Who Art In Heaven)”
from “Asteroid City”
Performed by Jarvis Cocker, Jean Yves Lozac’h, Perè Mallén, Preston George Mota, Rupert Friend, and Seu Jorge
Music and Lyrics by Jarvis Cocker, Richard Hawley, & Wes Anderson
June 23, 2023
Directed by Wes Anderson
Produced by Wes Anderson, Steven Rales, and Jeremy Dawson
Focus Features
Synopsis: Following a writer on his world famous fictional play about a grieving father who travels with his tech-obsessed family to small rural Asteroid City to compete in a junior stargazing event, only to have his world view disrupted forever.
“Dance The Night”
from “Barbie”
Performed by Dua Lipa
Music and Lyrics by Mark Ronson, Andrew Wyatt, Caroline Ailin, & Dua Lipa
July 21, 2023
Directed by Greta Gerwig
Produced by David Heyman, Margot Robbie, Tom Ackerley, and Robbie Brenner
Warner Bros. Pictures
Synopsis: Barbie suffers a crisis that leads her to question her world and her existence.
“I’m Just Ken”
from “Barbie”
Performed by Ryan Gosling
Music and Lyrics by Mark Ronson, Andrew Wyatt, Caroline Ailin, & Dua Lipa
July 21, 2023
Directed by Greta Gerwig
Produced by David Heyman, Margot Robbie, Tom Ackerley, and Robbie Brenner
Warner Bros. Pictures
Synopsis: Barbie suffers a crisis that leads her to question her world and her existence.
“What Was I Made For?”
from “Barbie”
Performed by Billie Eilish
Music and Lyrics by Billie Eilish & Finneas O’Connell
July 21, 2023
Directed by Greta Gerwig
Produced by David Heyman, Margot Robbie, Tom Ackerley, and Robbie Brenner
Warner Bros. Pictures
Synopsis: Barbie suffers a crisis that leads her to question her world and her existence.
“Keep It Movin”
from “The Color Purple”
Performed by Halle Bailey and Phylicia Pearl Mpasi
Music and Lyrics by Brittany Coney, Denisia Andrews, Halle Bailey, and Morten Ristorp
December 25, 2023
Directed by Blitz Bazawule
Produced by Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Scott Sanders, and Quincy Jones
Warner Bros. Pictures
Synopsis: A woman faces many hardships in her life, but ultimately finds extraordinary strength and hope in the unbreakable bonds of sisterhood.
“(Superpower) I”
from “The Color Purple”
Performed by Fantasia Barrino
Music and Lyrics by Kuk Harrell & The-Dream (Terius Youngdell Nash)
December 25, 2023
Directed by Blitz Bazawule
Produced by Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Scott Sanders, and Quincy Jones
Warner Bros. Pictures
Synopsis: A woman faces many hardships in her life, but ultimately finds extraordinary strength and hope in the unbreakable bonds of sisterhood.
“The Fire Inside”
from “Flamin’ Hot”
Performed by Becky G
Music and Lyrics by Diane Warren
June 9, 2023
Directed by Eva Longoria
Produced by DeVon Franklin
Searchlight Pictures
Synopsis: This is the inspiring true story of Richard Montañez who, as a Frito Lay janitor, disrupted the food industry by channeling his Mexican heritage to turn Flamin’ Hot Cheetos from a snack into an iconic global pop culture phenomenon.
“High Life”
from “Flora and Son”
Performed by Eve Hewson & Orén Kinlan
Music and Lyrics by Eve Hewson, Gary Clark, & John Carney
September 22, 2023
Directed by John Carney
Produced by Anthony Bregman, John Carney, Peter Cron, Rebecca O’Flanagan, and Robert Walpole
Apple Original Films
Synopsis: A single mom at war with her son is trying to find a hobby for him. One day, she rescues a guitar from a dumpster.
“Meet In The Middle”
from “Flora and Son”
Performed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt & Eve Hewson
Music and Lyrics by Eve Hewson, Gary Clark, John Carney, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, & Robert John Ardiff
September 22, 2023
Directed by John Carney
Produced by Anthony Bregman, John Carney, Peter Cron, Rebecca O’Flanagan, and Robert Walpole
Apple Original Films
Synopsis: A single mom at war with her son is trying to find a hobby for him. One day, she rescues a guitar from a dumpster.
“Can’t Catch Me Now”
from “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes”
Performed by Olivia Rodrigo
Music and Lyrics by Olivia Rodrigo & Dan Nigro
November 17, 2023
Directed by Francis Lawrence
Produced by Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson, and Francis Lawrence
Lionsgate
Synopsis: Coriolanus Snow mentors and develops feelings for the female District 12 tribute during the 10th Hunger Games.
“Wahzhazhe (A Song For My People)”
from “Killers of the Flower Moon”
Performed by Osage Tribal Singers
Music and Lyrics by Robbie Robertson
October 20, 2023
Directed by Martin Scorsese
Produced by Martin Scorsese, Dan Friedkin, Bradley Thomas, and Daniel Lupi
Paramount Pictures + Apple Original Films
Synopsis: When oil is discovered in 1920s Oklahoma under Osage Nation land, the Osage people are murdered one by one – until the FBI steps in to unravel the mystery.
“Quiet Eyes”
from “Past Lives”
Performed by Sharon Van Etten
Music and Lyrics by Sharon Van Etten & Zachary Dawes
June 30, 2023
Directed by Celine Song
Produced by David Hinojosa, Christine Vachon, and Pamela Koffler
A24
Synopsis: Nora and Hae Sung, two deeply connected childhood friends, are wrest apart after Nora’s family emigrates from South Korea. Two decades later, they are reunited in New York for one fateful week as they confront notions of destiny, love, and the choices that make a life, in this heartrending modern romance.
“Road To Freedom”
from “Rustin”
Performed by Lenny Kravitz
Music and Lyrics by Lenny Kravitz
November 3, 2023
Directed by George C. Wolfe
Produced by Bruce Cohen, Tonia Davis, and Priya Swaminathan
Netflix
Synopsis: Activist Bayard Rustin faces racism and homophobia as he helps change the course of Civil Rights history by orchestrating the 1963 March on Washington.
“Am I Dreaming”
from “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”
Performed by Metro Boomin, ASAP Rocky & Roisee
Music and Lyrics by Leland Wayne, Rakim Mayers, Uriel Brush, Mike Dean, Peter Lee Johnson,
& Landon Wayne
June 2, 2023
Directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson
Produced by Chris Miller, Phil Lord, Amy Pascal, Avi Arad, and Christina Steinberg
Sony + Columbia Pictures
Synopsis: Miles Morales catapults across the multiverse, where he encounters a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its very existence. When the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles must redefine what it means to be a hero.
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