Awards
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Lady Gaga took the stage at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday night (March 12) to perform her hit best song nominee “Hold My Hand,” from the blockbuster sequel Top Gun: Maverick.
“I wrote this song with my friend BloodPop for the film Top Gun: Maverick in my studio basement,” she began her performance. “It’s deeply personal for me, and I think that we all need each other. We need a lot of love to walk through this life, and we all need a hero sometimes. There’s heroes all around us, in unassuming places, but you might find that you can be your own hero even if you feel broken inside.”
Gaga then delivered a stripped-down version of the Maverick power ballad, with just a piano for accompaniment for the first verse and chorus, before being joined by drums and bass for the remainder of the performance. It was an appropriate raw and intimate-feeling version of the song, given its emotional introduction.
“Hold My Hand” hit No. 49 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2022 — one of two Hot 100 hits from Maverick, along with OneRepublic’s “I Ain’t Worried.” Lady Gaga previously won the Oscar for best original song at the 2019 Academy Awards, for her Hot 100-topping Bradley Cooper duet “Shallow” from A Star Is Born.
Top Gun: Maverick is nominated for six total categories at this year’s Academy Awards, also including best editing, best adapted screenplay and best picture. It is one of two box office-besting sequels to be nominated for best picture this year, along with Avatar: The Way of Water.
The official trailer for Disney’s live-action The Little Mermaid, starring Halle Bailey, has arrived. It was introduced by Bailey and co-star Melissa McCarthy during the 2023 Oscars on Sunday night (March 12).
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Bailey stars as Ariel in the reimagining of the Disney animated classic, with an ensemble including McCarthy as Ursula, Javier Bardem as King Triton and Jonah Hauer-King as Eric.
Following a recent 30-second teaser and a clip focused on Bailey’s beautiful rendition of “Part of Your World” from D23, this extended preview — with a runtime of two minutes and twenty seconds — gives viewers a cinematic look at Ariel’s world and the characters that surround her, from life under the sea to life newly on land.
The Little Mermaid hits theaters on May 26.
Watch the trailer for the The Little Mermaid below.
Son Lux, Stephanie Hsu and David Byrne performed best song nominee “This Is a Life,” from the acclaimed Everyone Everywhere All at Once, at the 2023 Oscars in Los Angeles on Sunday night (March 12).
Dressed in all white — along with a throng of similarly costumed backing dancers — the performers delivered a deliberately choreographed version of the soundtrack song, in front of a backing band and video clips of the film’s Raccacoonie character. It ended with Hsu and Byrne at center stage, Byrne showing off his elongated fingers — a la the hot dog fingers displayed in one of the film’s many alternate universes.
Acclaimed indie rock singer-songwriter Mitski co-performed the original “This Is a Life” with Talking Heads frontman Byrne, but was not present for the performance. Hsu, who pulled double acting duty in Everyone Everywhere All at Once as daughter Joy Wong and villain Jobu Tapaki, filled in for Mitski for the brief “Life” rendition.
David Byrne is a prior Oscar winner, having co-composed the score for 1988 best picture winner The Last Emperor along with Ryuichi Sakamoto and Cong Su. Hsu was nominated for best supporting actress at this year’s awards, but lost to Jamie Lee Curtis for her performance in the same movie. Everyone Everywhere All at Once is the most-nominated movie on the evening, with 11 total nods, including for best picture.
“This Is a Life” faces stiff competition in the best original song category from the starry likes of Lady Gaga (for Top Gun: Maverick) and Rihanna (for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever), as well as frequent nominee Dianne Warren.
Jimmy Kimmel returned as Oscars host for the third time on Sunday (March 12) at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood. With discourse around Will Smith’s onstage slap of 2022 Oscars host Chris Rock (prior to winning best actor) being one of the biggest stories of last year, it was predictable but perhaps inevitable that Kimmel would wedge a joke about it into the 95th annual Academy Awards.
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In his opening monologue, 2023 Oscars host Kimmel made jokes about Rihanna’s nine-month-old pooping backstage during rehearsals, Elvis Presley still being alive and, of course, The Slap. “Most importantly – we want me to feel safe. We have strict policies in place. If anyone in this theater commits an act of violence at any point during this show, you will be awarded the Oscar for best actor and permitted to give a 19-minute-long speech,” Kimmel said. Separately, Kimmel also jested that with five Irish actors nominated at the 2023 Oscars, “The odds of a fight on stage just went way up.”
Later in the show, Kimmel returned to the topic before the award for best documentary feature was given out. “You may recall this is where we had that little skirmish last year. Hopefully this time it goes off without a hitch – or at least without Hitch,” he said, referencing the 2005 Will Smith film. “Please put your hands together and then keep them to yourself.”
Nick Cannon’s brood of children got a shoutout during the show. Mentioning that Avatar: The Way of Water cost Disney two billion, he quipped, “Just to break even, all Nick Cannon’s kid had to see Avatar four times.”
“This is my favorite duo of the year: Steven Spielberg and Seth Rogen. What a pair,” Kimmel said of The Fabelmans duo. “The Joe and Hunter Biden of Hollywood. Seth, what are you on right now, be honest. Nothing? Mushrooms, right?” Noting that Spielberg has never done a drug in his life, Kimmel joked, “You mean to tell me you were sober when you made a movie about an alien who eats Reese’s Pieces all day and can’t remember how to phone home?”
The 95th Academy Awards took over the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday (March 12), airing live on ABC. Jimmy Kimmel returned as Oscars host this year, marking the third time the late-night show host helmed the Academy Awards.
Some of music’s biggest stars were present and accounted for, including Lady Gaga and Rihanna (both nominated in the best original song category) and Janelle Monáe and Halle Bailey. The pop queens — both of whom have headlined the Super Bowl Halftime Show — are performers during the 2023 Oscars broadcast.
Lenny Kravitz – who performs the In Memoriam segment during the 2023 telecast – also walked the carpet, in addition to Talking Heads frontman David Byrne, who was nominated alongside Ryan Lott and Mitski in the best original song category for “This Is A Life” from Everything Everywhere All At Once.
Everything Everywhere All At Once, which earned 11 nods, is the most-nominated film this year. “All of our mothers are sometimes overlooked, and it was time to show that all of our moms are superheroes,” said best actress nominee Michelle Yeoh on the champagne carpet ahead of the show.
Baz Luhrmann’s biopic on 20th century icon Elvis Presley, Elvis, was nominated for eight Oscars, including best picture; it also earned a best actor nomination for Austin Butler, who portrayed the King of Rock & Roll. “It feels like a dream come true,” said Butler of the nomination during the pre-show. “That’s like choosing your favorite kid – I can’t choose one,” Butler said when asked to name a favorite song from Presley.
Austin Butler
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores
Austin Butler at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Ovation Hollywood on March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles.
Halle Bailey
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores
Halle Bailey at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Ovation Hollywood on March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles.
David Byrne & Mala Gaonkar
Image Credit: Lexie Moreland
David Byrne and Mala Gaonkar at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Ovation Hollywood on March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles.
Valentina Paloma Pinault, Salma Hayek, Pedro Pascal & Javiera Balmaceda
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores
Valentina Paloma Pinault, Salma Hayek, Pedro Pascal and Javiera Balmaceda at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Ovation Hollywood on March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles.
Lady Gaga
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores
Lady Gaga at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Ovation Hollywood on March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles.
Cara Delevingne
Image Credit: Michael Buckner
Cara Delevingne at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Ovation Hollywood on March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles.
Troy Kotsur & Questlove
Image Credit: Michael Buckner
Troy Kotsur and Questlove at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Ovation Hollywood on March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles.
Laverne Cox
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores
Laverne Cox at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Ovation Hollywood on March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles.
Vanessa Hudgens
Image Credit: Michael Buckner
Vanessa Hudgens at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Ovation Hollywood on March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.
Lenny Kravitz
Image Credit: Michael Buckner
Lenny Kravitz at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Ovation Hollywood on March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles.
Zoe Saldana
Image Credit: Lexie Moreland
Zoe Saldana at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Ovation Hollywood on March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles.
Allison Williams
Image Credit: Lexie Moreland
Allison Williams at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Ovation Hollywood on March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles.
Harry Shum Jr.
Image Credit: Lexie Moreland
Harry Shum Jr. at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Ovation Hollywood on March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles.
Janelle Monáe
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores
Janelle Monáe at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Ovation Hollywood on March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles.
Sofia Carson
Image Credit: Michael Buckner
Sofia Carson at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Ovation Hollywood on March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles.
Florence Pugh
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores
Florence Pugh at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Ovation Hollywood on March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles.
Mindy Kaling
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores
Mindy Kaling at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Ovation Hollywood on March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles.
Fan Bingbing
Image Credit: Michael Buckner
Fan Bingbing at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Ovation Hollywood on March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles.
Khaby Lame
Image Credit: Michael Buckner
Khaby Lame at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Ovation Hollywood on March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles.
Sandra Oh
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores
Sandra Oh at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Ovation Hollywood on March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles.
Angela Bassett
Image Credit: Michael Buckner
Angela Bassett at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Ovation Hollywood on March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles.
Questlove
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores
Questlove at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Ovation Hollywood on March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles.
Stephanie Hsu
Image Credit: Michael Buckner
Stephanie Hsu at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Ovation Hollywood on March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles.
Elizabeth Olsen
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores
Elizabeth Olsen at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Ovation Hollywood on March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles.
Jamie Lee Curtis
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores
Jamie Lee Curtis at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Ovation Hollywood on March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles.
Gustave De Waele, Lukas Dhont & Eden Dambrine
Image Credit: Michael Buckner
Gustave De Waele, Lukas Dhont, and Eden Dambrine at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Ovation Hollywood on March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles.
Jay Ellis
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores
Jay Ellis at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Ovation Hollywood on March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles.
Ashley Graham
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores
Ashley Graham at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Ovation Hollywood on March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles.
James Hong
Image Credit: Lexie Moreland
James Hong at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Ovation Hollywood on March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles.
Winnie Harlow
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores
Winnie Harlow at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Ovation Hollywood on March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles.
Deanne Bray & Troy Kotsur
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores
Deanne Bray and Troy Kotsur at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Ovation Hollywood on March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles.
The 95th Academy Awards take place on Sunday (March 12) at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood and air live on ABC, with Jimmy Kimmel returning as Oscars host for the third time.
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Everything Everywhere All At Once, which earned 11 nods, is the most-nominated film this year. One of those 11 nominations is for best original song (David Byrne, Ryan Lott and Mitski’s “This Is A Life”). They’re competing against Lady Gaga and BloodPop for “Hold My Hand” (Top Gun: Maverick), Tems, Rihanna, Ryan Coogler and Ludwig Goransson for “Lift Me Up (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever), Diane Warren for “Applause” (Tell It Like a Woman) and M.M. Keeravaani and Chandrabose for “Naatu Naatu” (RRR). This is Warren’s 14th nomination, with no wins so far. Gaga previously won this category for co-writing “Shallow” from A Star Is Born.
Baz Luhrmann’s biopic on 20th century icon Elvis Presley, Elvis, was nominated for eight Oscars, including best picture; it also earned a best actor nomination for Austin Butler, who portrayed the King of Rock & Roll.
Check out the complete winners list below, updating live throughout the show.
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Angela Bassett in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”Hong Chau in “The Whale”Kerry Condon in “The Banshees of Inisherin”Jamie Lee Curtis in “Everything Everywhere All at Once”Stephanie Hsu in “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
Best Costume Design
“Babylon” Mary Zophres“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” Ruth Carter“Elvis” Catherine Martin“Everything Everywhere All at Once” Shirley Kurata“Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris” Jenny Beavan
Best Sound
“All Quiet on the Western Front” Viktor Prášil, Frank Kruse, Markus Stemler, Lars Ginzel and Stefan Korte“Avatar: The Way of Water” Julian Howarth, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Dick Bernstein, Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers and Michael Hedges“The Batman” Stuart Wilson, William Files, Douglas Murray and Andy Nelson“Elvis” David Lee, Wayne Pashley, Andy Nelson and Michael Keller“Top Gun: Maverick” Mark Weingarten, James H. Mather, Al Nelson, Chris Burdon and Mark Taylor
Best Original Score
“All Quiet on the Western Front” Volker Bertelmann“Babylon” Justin Hurwitz“The Banshees of Inisherin” Carter Burwell“Everything Everywhere All at Once” Son Lux“The Fabelmans” John Williams
Best Adapted Screenplay
“All Quiet on the Western Front” Screenplay by Edward Berger, Lesley Paterson & Ian Stokell“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” Written by Rian Johnson“Living” Written by Kazuo Ishiguro“Top Gun: Maverick” Screenplay by Ehren Kruger and Eric Warren Singer and Christopher McQuarrie; Story by Peter Craig and Justin Marks“Women Talking” Screenplay by Sarah Polley
Best Original Screenplay
“The Banshees of Inisherin” Written by Martin McDonagh“Everything Everywhere All at Once” Written by Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert“The Fabelmans” Written by Steven Spielberg & Tony Kushner“Tár” Written by Todd Field“Triangle of Sadness” Written by Ruben Östlund
Best Live-Action Short Film
“An Irish Goodbye” Tom Berkeley and Ross White“Ivalu” Anders Walter and Rebecca Pruzan“Le Pupille” Alice Rohrwacher and Alfonso Cuarón“Night Ride” Eirik Tveiten and Gaute Lid Larssen“The Red Suitcase” Cyrus Neshvad
Best Animated Short Film
“The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse” Charlie Mackesy and Matthew Freud“The Flying Sailor” Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby“Ice Merchants” João Gonzalez and Bruno Caetano“My Year of Dicks” Sara Gunnarsdóttir and Pamela Ribon“An Ostrich Told Me the World Is Fake and I Think I Believe It” Lachlan Pendragon
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Brendan Gleeson in “The Banshees of Inisherin”Brian Tyree Henry in “Causeway”Judd Hirsch in “The Fabelmans”Barry Keoghan in “The Banshees of Inisherin”Ke Huy Quan in “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
Best Animated Film
“Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” Guillermo del Toro, Mark Gustafson, Gary Ungar and Alex Bulkley“Marcel the Shell with Shoes On” Dean Fleischer Camp, Elisabeth Holm, Andrew Goldman, Caroline Kaplan and Paul Mezey“Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” Joel Crawford and Mark Swift“The Sea Beast” Chris Williams and Jed Schlanger“Turning Red” Domee Shi and Lindsey Collins
Best Original Song
“Applause” from “Tell It like a Woman”; Music and Lyric by Diane Warren“Hold My Hand” from “Top Gun: Maverick”; Music and Lyric by Lady Gaga and BloodPop“Lift Me Up” from “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”; Music by Tems, Rihanna, Ryan Coogler and Ludwig Goransson; Lyric by Tems and Ryan Coogler“Naatu Naatu” from “RRR”; Music by M.M. Keeravaani; Lyric by Chandrabose“This Is A Life” from “Everything Everywhere All at Once”; Music by Ryan Lott, David Byrne and Mitski; Lyric by Ryan Lott and David Byrne
Best International Feature Film
“All Quiet on the Western Front” Germany“Argentina, 1985” Argentina“Close” Belgium“EO” Poland“The Quiet Girl” Ireland
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
“All Quiet on the Western Front” Heike Merker and Linda Eisenhamerová“The Batman” Naomi Donne, Mike Marino and Mike Fontaine“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” Camille Friend and Joel Harlow“Elvis” Mark Coulier, Jason Baird and Aldo Signoretti“The Whale” Adrien Morot, Judy Chin and Anne Marie Bradley
Best Production Design
“All Quiet on the Western Front” Production Design: Christian M. Goldbeck; Set Decoration: Ernestine Hipper“Avatar: The Way of Water” Production Design: Dylan Cole and Ben Procter; Set Decoration: Vanessa Cole“Babylon” Production Design: Florencia Martin; Set Decoration: Anthony Carlino“Elvis” Production Design: Catherine Martin and Karen Murphy; Set Decoration: Bev Dunn“The Fabelmans” Production Design: Rick Carter; Set Decoration: Karen O’Hara
Best Cinematography
“All Quiet on the Western Front” James Friend“Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths” Darius Khondji“Elvis” Mandy Walker“Empire of Light” Roger Deakins“Tár” Florian Hoffmeister
Best Visual Effects
“All Quiet on the Western Front” Frank Petzold, Viktor Müller, Markus Frank and Kamil Jafar“Avatar: The Way of Water” Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon and Daniel Barrett“The Batman” Dan Lemmon, Russell Earl, Anders Langlands and Dominic Tuohy“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” Geoffrey Baumann, Craig Hammack, R. Christopher White and Dan Sudick“Top Gun: Maverick” Ryan Tudhope, Seth Hill, Bryan Litson and Scott R. Fisher
Best Film Editing
“The Banshees of Inisherin” Mikkel E.G. Nielsen“Elvis” Matt Villa and Jonathan Redmond“Everything Everywhere All at Once” Paul Rogers“Tár” Monika Willi“Top Gun: Maverick” Eddie Hamilton
Best Documentary Feature
“All That Breathes” Shaunak Sen, Aman Mann and Teddy Leifer“All the Beauty and the Bloodshed” Laura Poitras, Howard Gertler, John Lyons, Nan Goldin and Yoni Golijov“Fire of Love” Sara Dosa, Shane Boris and Ina Fichman“A House Made of Splinters” Simon Lereng Wilmont and Monica Hellström“Navalny” Daniel Roher, Odessa Rae, Diane Becker, Melanie Miller and Shane Boris
Best Documentary Short Subject
“The Elephant Whisperers” Kartiki Gonsalves and Guneet Monga“Haulout” Evgenia Arbugaeva and Maxim Arbugaev“How Do You Measure a Year?” Jay Rosenblatt“The Martha Mitchell Effect” Anne Alvergue and Beth Levison“Stranger at the Gate” Joshua Seftel and Conall Jones
Best Actor in a Leading Role
Austin Butler in “Elvis”Colin Farrell in “The Banshees of Inisherin”Brendan Fraser in “The Whale”Paul Mescal in “Aftersun”Bill Nighy in “Living”
Best Actress in a Leading Role
Cate Blanchett in “Tár”Ana de Armas in “Blonde”Andrea Riseborough in “To Leslie”Michelle Williams in “The Fabelmans”Michelle Yeoh in “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
Best Directing
“The Banshees of Inisherin” Martin McDonagh“Everything Everywhere All at Once” Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert“The Fabelmans” Steven Spielberg“Tár” Todd Field“Triangle of Sadness” Ruben Östlund
Best Picture
“All Quiet on the Western Front” Malte Grunert, Producer“Avatar: The Way of Water” James Cameron and Jon Landau, Producers“The Banshees of Inisherin” Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin and Martin McDonagh, Producers“Elvis” Baz Luhrmann, Catherine Martin, Gail Berman, Patrick McCormick and Schuyler Weiss, Producers“Everything Everywhere All at Once” Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert and Jonathan Wang, Producers“The Fabelmans” Kristie Macosko Krieger, Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner, Producers“Tá”r Todd Field, Alexandra Milchan and Scott Lambert, Producers“Top Gun: Maverick” Tom Cruise, Christopher McQuarrie, David Ellison and Jerry Bruckheimer, Producers“Triangle of Sadness” Erik Hemmendorff and Philippe Bober, Producers“Women Talking” Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner and Frances McDormand, Producers
Lady Gaga will perform “Hold My Hand” on the 2023 Oscars on Sunday (March 12) after all.
Variety first reported the surprise reversal. Oscars executive producer and showrunner Glenn Weiss stated that Gaga would not be performing during a press meeting with the Oscars creative team on March 8. He implied that the Oscars team and Gaga had mutually decided to pass because of the demands of her co-starring role in the Joker: Folie à Deux, which is currently shooting.
“We have a great relationship with Lady Gaga and her camp,” he said at the time. “She is in the middle of shooting a movie right now. Here, we are honoring the movie industry and what it takes to make a movie after a bunch of back and forth… It didn’t feel like she can get a performance to the caliber that we’re used to with her and that she is used to. So, she is not going to perform on the show,” Weiss said.
With Gaga now on the bill, all five of this year’s best original song nominees will be performed on the show. The other performers are Rihanna (“Lift Me Up” from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever), Sofia Carson and Diane Warren (“Applause” from Tell It Like a Woman), Stephanie Hsu, David Byrne and Son Lux (“This Is a Life” from Everything Everywhere All at Once) and Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava (“Naatu Naatu” from RRR).
This will be the first Oscar telecast in three years to include performances of all five nominated songs.
Two years ago, all five songs were performed, but on a pre-show. That move was seen as disrespectful by many in the music community. Last year, Van Morrison declined to perform “Down to Joy” from Belfast, so only four of the nominated songs were performed on the telecast.
This will be Gaga’s fourth performance on the Oscars. In 2015, she performed a medley of four songs from The Sound of Music to honor that film on its 50th anniversary. In a memorable Oscar moment, Julie Andrews came out at the end of Gaga’s performance and the two stars embraced.
In 2016, Gaga sang the nominated song “Til It Happens to You” from The Hunting Ground. In 2019, she and Bradley Cooper sang “Shallow” from A Star Is Born, which went on to win the award. The staging of “Shallow” was memorable, with Gaga and Cooper stepping up from their front-row seats to take the stage.
“Hold My Hand,” which Gaga co-wrote with BloodPop, has thus far peaked at No. 49 on the Billboard Hot 100 (in June). The song may reach a new peak following the Oscars. Both of Gaga’s previous Oscar-nominated songs reached new peaks following the telecast. “Shallow” shot from No. 21 to No. 1 on the Hot 100 the week following the Oscars. It had previously peaked at No. 5. “Til It Happens to You” had failed to make the Hot 100 when it was first released, but entered the chart at No. 95 following the Oscars.
The most dramatic example of a televised performance reigniting a Gaga song came after she headlined the Super Bowl halftime show in In February 2017. “Million Reasons” re-entered the Hot 100 at a new peak, No. 4, following her performance. The song had previously peaked at No. 52.
It was a coup for the Oscars to book Rihanna and Gaga, two of the hottest singers on the planet, on the same show. But then, when Oscar calls, even the biggest stars usually say yes. Beyoncé opened last year’s show with a memorable performance of “Be Alive” from King Richard. Such other superstars as Adele, U2, Lady Gaga, The Weeknd, Sam Smith, Justin Timberlake, Sting, Elton John and Billie Eilish with Finneas have performed nominated songs on the Oscars in the past decade.
Hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, the 95th Oscars will be held Sunday (March 12) at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood, and will be televised live on ABC and in more than 200 territories worldwide.
The Weeknd swept four awards at the 2023 Juno Opening Night Awards, which was livestreamed from the Edmonton Convention Centre on Saturday (March 11). The Canadian superstar took artist of the year for a record fourth time; songwriter of the year for a record fourth time; single of the year for a record-tying third time for “Sacrifice”; and pop album of the year for the first time for Dawn FM.
The Weeknd is nominated for two more awards on the main Juno Awards telecast on Monday (March 13). The Opening Night Awards is analogous to the Grammys’ Premiere Ceremony, where the bulk of each year’s Grammys are presented. But the event was less well-attended than the Grammy Premiere Ceremony usually is, perhaps in part because it was two days before the main telecast rather than just several hours before, as the Grammy Premiere Ceremony is.
Several Juno winners have also done well in the U.S. market. These include Michael Bublé’s Higher (adult contemporary album of the year), Tenille Townes’ Masquerades (country album of the year), Kaytranada and Anderson .Paak’s “Twin Frame” (rap single of the year), and Rêve’s “CTRL + ALT + DEL” (dance recording of the year).
Harry Styles’ Harry’s House took the Juno Award for international album of the year. The blockbuster album has swept awards around the globe, including the Brit Award for British album of the year and the Grammy for album of the year.
Floria Sigismond, who directed the Sam Smith/KimPetras video for “Unholy,” won music video of the year. The award was presented by Lyor Cohen, global head of music for YouTube.
Serban Ghenea, whose credits included the aforementioned “Unholy” and Lil Nas X’s That’s What I Want,” was named recording engineer for the second time in three years.
Akeel Henry, whose credits include Giveon’s “For Tonight” and John Legend’s “Splash,” took the Jack Richardson producer of the year award.
The Arkells won group of the year for a record sixth time. They had been tied with Blue Rodeo with five wins each. (Oddly, neither of these groups has made much of a splash in the U.S.)
The event also recognized this year’s special award recipients including the Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award (Ron Sakamoto) and The MusiCounts Inspired Minds Ambassador Award (Broken Social Scene’s Kevin Drew).
The livestream was ably co-hosted by Andrew Phung and Angeline Tetteh-Wayoe. Alberta pop singer Devon Cole, R&B sensation Dylan Sinclair, post-classical piano icon Jean- Michel Blais, sister trio The Bearhead Sisters performed. Corb Lund with The Sadies and Shannon Johnson from The McDades shared the stage for a collaborative performance of Ian Tyson’s “Four Strong Winds” during the In Memoriam segment. Tyson was among the Canadian talent who died in the past year, along with Ronnie Hawkins, Susan Jacks, Kerry Chater, Shirley Eikhard and more,
The Juno Awards broadcast will air live across Canada from Rogers Place in Edmonton at 8 p.m. ET/6 p.m. MT on CBC TV, CBC Gem, CBC Radio One, CBC Music, CBC Listen, and globally at CBCMusic.ca/junos and CBC Music’s Facebook, YouTube and Twitter pages.
The ceremony had originally been scheduled for March 12, but was pushed back a day to avoid competing with the Oscars. Actor Simu Liu, star of the 2021 Marvel Cinematic Universe film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, is hosting for the second year in a row.
Here’s the complete list of winners at the 2023 Juno Opening Night Awards.
Artist of the year
Avril Lavigne, Warner
Lauren Spencer-Smith, Island/Republic*Universal
Michael Bublé, Warner
Shawn Mendes, Island*Universal
WINNER: The Weeknd, XO*Universal
Group of the year
Arcade Fire, Columbia*Sony
WINNER: Arkells, Arkells Music*Universal
Billy Talent, Warner
Metric, Thirty Tigers
The Reklaws, Starseed*Independent
Single of the year
“Bite Me,” Avril Lavigne, Warner
“Flowers Need Rain,” Preston Pablo and Banx & Ranx, 31 East*Universal
“When You’re Gone,” Shawn Mendes, Island*Universal
“she’s all i wanna be,” Tate McRae, RCA*Sony
WINNER: “Sacrifice,” The Weeknd, XO*Universal
Music video of the year
“Fraud,” Emma Higgins, director; Jessie Reyez, Island*Universal
WINNER: “Unholy,” Floria Sigismondi director; Sam Smith and Kim Petras, Capitol*Universal
“Have Mercy,” Karena Evans, director; Chlöe, Parkwood*Sony
“Different Than Before,” Mayumi Yoshida, director; Amanda Sum, Independent
“Remember Me for Me,” Sterling Larose, director; SonReal and Lily Moore, Black Box*Fontana North/Warner
International album of the year
=, Ed Sheeran, Warner
WINNER: Harry’s House, Harry Styles, Columbia*Sony
Montero, Lil Nas X, Columbia*Sony
Midnights, Taylor Swift, Republic*Universal
Red (Taylor’s Version), Taylor Swift, Taylor Swift*Universal
Breakthrough group of the year
WINNER: Banx & Ranx, Universal
Harm & Ease, Cosmo Cat*Independent
Rare Americans, EMPIRE/Crooked City*AMPED
Tommy Lefroy, Independent*AWAL
Wild Rivers, Nettwerk*Amped
Songwriter of the year
WINNER: Abel Tesfaye, publisher: XO Music Publishing/Kobalt Music Publishing
Faouzia, publisher: Faouzia Music/Kobalt Music Publishing
Tate McRae, publisher: T8 Entertainment Inc/Sony Music Publishing
Tenille Townes, publisher: Year of the Dog
TOBi, publisher: Oluwatobi Ajibolade Publishing
Jack Richardson producer of the year
WINNER: Akeel Henry
Banx & Ranx
Kaytranada
Mike Wise
Murda Beatz
Recording engineer of the year
Derek Hoffman
George Seara
Gus van Go
Jason Dufour
WINNER: Serban Ghenea
Pop album of the year
In the Meantime, Alessia Cara, Def Jam*Universal
Love Sux, Avril Lavigne, Warner
The Loneliest Time, Carly Rae Jepsen, 604*Warner
i used to think i could fly, Tate McRae, RCA*Sony
WINNER: Dawn FM, The Weeknd, XO*Universal
Adult contemporary album of the year
Adventure Book, Francois, Klark Independent
Descendant, Jann Arden, Universal
He Sang She Sang, Marc Jordan & Amy, Sky Linus*Universal/IDLA
WINNER: Higher, Michael Bublé, Warner
A Tyler Shaw Christmas, Tyler Shaw, Sony
Rock album of the year
WINNER: Otherness, Alexisonfire, Dine Alone*The Orchard
Crisis Of Faith, Billy Talent, Warner
Get Rollin’, Nickelback, BMG*Warner/ADA
Outta Sight, The Sheepdogs, Warner
Explosions, Three Days Grace, RCA*Sony
Metal/hard music album of the year
Psychic Jailbreak, Cancer Bats, New Damage*The Orchard
Merciless Destruction, Get the Shot, New Damage*The Orchard
Paid In Full, Skull Fist, Atomic Fire*Fontana North/Warner
WINNER: Synchro Anarchy, Voivod, Century*Sony
Thought Form Descent, Wake, Metal Blade*Sony
Adult Alternative album of the year
Born Losers, Altameda, Pheromone*Fontana North
The Garden, Basia Bulat, Secret City*F.A.B.
Being Somewhere, Dan Mangan, Arts & Crafts*Universal
WINNER: Colder Streams, The Sadies, Dine Alone*The Orchard
How Is It That I Should Look at the Stars, The Weather Station, Next Door*Outside
Alternative album of the year
WINNER: Blue Rev, Alvvays, Celsius Girls*Universal
Duality, Luna Li, AWAL
Sewn Back Together, OMBIIGIZI, Arts & Crafts*Universal
The Unraveling of Puptheband, PUP, Little Dipper*Universal
Tongues, Tanya Tagaq, Six Shooter*Universal
Dance recording of the year
“Afterglow,” Bob Moses and Kasablanca, Astralwerks*Universal
“Shinigami Eyes,” Grimes, Columbia*Sony
“These Nights,” Loud Luxury feat. Kiddo, Armada*Sony
WINNER: “CTRL + ALT + DEL,” Rêve 31, East*Universal
“Spiral,” Rezz, RCA*Sony
Underground dance single of the year
“Debonair,” Bensley, mau5trap*Independent/AWAL
“Aye Aye,” Blond:Ish and Cameron Jack, Abracadabra*Above Board
“The Time Is (Now),” Fred Everything, Lazy Days*Prime Direct/Paradise
WINNER: “I Knew Techno,” Greg Gow, Restructured*The Orchard
“Easy,” Tiga, Turbo*!K7
Electronic album of the year
Not OK, Mecha Maiko, NewRetroWave*HHV/Believe
Spectrums, Odonis, Odonis Felte*Secretly
Nightmare on Rezz Street 2 Mix, Rezz, HypnoVizion*Universal
Synthetic Season One, Rich Aucoin, We Are Busy Bodies*Redeye
WINNER: Interior, Teen Daze, Independent*Believe
Traditional R&B/soul recording of the year
“Please Do Not Lean,” Daniel Caesar feat. BadBadNotGood, Republic*Universal
“Palisade,” Jon Vinyl, Vinyl Recordings*Foundation
“All I Need,” Safe, RCA*Sony
WINNER: “Last One,” Savannah Ré feat. Dylan Sinclair, Universal
“How to Make Love,” Thehonestguy, Independent*Believe
Rap single of the year
“Alejandro Sosa,” 6ixbuzz and Pengz, Warner
“Been Himma,” Dom Vallie, Natalus*The Orchard
“Wrath,” Freddie Dredd, RCA*Sony
WINNER: “Twin Flame,” Kaytranada and Anderson .Paak, RCA*Sony
“Wrong Decisions,” XO*Universal
Country album of the year
Way Back, High Valley, Cage Free*The Orchard
Honkytonk Revival, Jade Eagleson, Starseed*Independent
Bronco, Orville Peck, Columbia*Sony
WINNER: Masquerades, Tenille Townes, RCA*Sony
Good Ol’ Days, The Reklaws, Starseed*Independent
Reggae recording of the year
“Water,” Ammoye, Lulaword*Symphonic
“Like a Star,” Celena, Independent
“Jah Love,” Exco Levi, Independent
“In the Streets,” Kairo McLean, Soul Survival*Independent
WINNER: “Reggae Party,” Kirk Diamond, Kairo McLean and Finn, Independent
Contemporary roots album of the year
O Glory, Blackie and The Rodeo Kings, Divine*Warner
That Was You and Me, Fortunate Ones, Sonic *Warner
Hold on to Love, Shakura S’Aida, Independent
WINNER: Come Morning, The Bros. Landreth, Birthday Cake*The Orchard
House of Dreams, The East Pointers, Nettwerk*Amped
Traditional roots album of the year
Hurricane Clarice, Allison de Groot & Tatiana Hargreaves, Free Dirt*AMPED/MNRK
20 printemps, Le Vent du Nord, La Compagnie du Nord*IDLA
Narrow Line, Mama’s Broke, Free Dirt*AMPED/MNRK
WINNER: Tell ‘Em You Were Gold, Pharis & Jason Romero, Smithsonian Folkways*AMPED/The Orchard
The Empress, The McDades, Independent
Blues album of the year
WINNER: Long River, Angelique Francis, Independent
Midnight Blues, Crystal Shawanda, True North*Universal/IDLA
Thanks for Tomorrow, Harrison Kennedy, Electro-Fi*Isotope Music/The Orchard
Preach to My Soul, Spencer Mackenzie, Gypsy Soul*Warner
Live at the King Eddy, The Harpoonist & The Axe Murderer, Fontana North*The Orchard
Contemporary Christian/gospel album of the year
Into The Wild, Dan Bremnes, CURB | Word*New Day
Trust, Daniel Ojo, Psalmist*Independent
WINNER: Jordan St. Cyr, Jordan St. Cyr, BEC*The Orchard
Only Ever Always, Love & The Outcome, CURB | Word*New Day
The Church Will Rise, Tehillah Worship, Independent*Wings
Global music album of the year
In the Footsteps of Rumi, Ghalia Benali, Constantinople, Kiya Tabassian, Glossa*Naxos
WINNER: Thieves of Dreams, Lenka Lichtenberg, Sunflower*Independent
José Louis and the Paradox of Love, Pierre Kwenders, Arts & Crafts*Universal
Vox.Infold, Ruby Singh, Independent
Tradisyon, Wesli,WUP/Disques Les Nuits d’Afrique/Cumbancha*Believe
Vocal jazz album of the year
WINNER: Featuring, Caity Gyorgy, La Reserve*The Orchard
Blue, Diana Panton, Independent*The SRG/ILS Group
Venez donc chez moi, Laura Anglade and Sam Kirmayer, Justin Time*F.A.B./Nettwerk
Nikki By Starlight, Nikki Yanofsky, MNRK
The Ostara Project, The Ostara Project, Cellar*The Orchard
Jazz album of the year (solo)
Joy, Ernesto Cervini, TPR*A-Train
A Little Louder Now, Lauren Falls, Independent
El Tinajon, Luis Deniz, Modica*Believe
Rumba, Rafael Zaldivar, Effendi*Propagande/Naxos
WINNER: Kinds of Love, Renee Rosnes, Smoke Sessions*The Orchard
Jazz album of the year (group)
Semantics, Andrew Rathbun Quintet, SteepleChase*Stateside/The Orchard
Talk Memory, BadBadNotGood, People’s Champ*Stem
The History of Us, Carn Davidson 9, TPR*Independent
WINNER: Desert Bloom, Florian Hoefner Trio, Alma*Universal
The Dragon’s Tail, Mark Kelso & the Jazz Exiles, Independent
Instrumental album of the year
Canadiana, Canadian Brass, Linus*Universal/IDLA
WINNER: Everything Was Forever Until It Was No More, Esmerine, Constellation*Secretly
Iguana, Hard Rubber Orchestra, Redshift*Independent
Aubades, Jean-Michel Blais, Arts & Crafts*Universal
Lionheart, Stephan Moccio, Decca*Universal
Francophone album of the year
medium Plaisir, Ariane Roy, La maison fauve*Universal
Mercure en mai, Daniel Bélanger, Secret City*F.A.B.
Pictura De Ipse : Musique directe, Hubert Lenoir, Simone*The Orchard
WINNER: Crash, Les Louanges, Bonsound*Sony/The Orchard
Chiac Disco, Lisa LeBlanc, Bonsound*Sony/The Orchard
Children’s album of the year
Nice to Meet You, Beppie, Platoon
Say Hello, Jeremy and Jazzy, Hidden Pony*Universal
I Am Love, Splash’N Boots, Independent*The Orchard
WINNER: Walk off the Earth & Romeo Eats, Vol. 2, Walk off the Earth and Romeo Eats, Golden Carrot*The Orchard
Maestro Fresh Wes Presents: Julia the Great, Young Maestro and Keysha Freshh, Independent
Classical album of the year (solo artist)
Winner of the 18th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition Warsaw 2021, Bruce Liu, Deutsche Grammophon*Universal
Prokofiev: Piano Sonatas, Vol. 1, David Jalbert, ATMA*Universal
La Zingarella: Through Romany Songland, Isabel Bayrakdarian, AVIE*Naxos
Bach: Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin, James Ehnes, Onyx*PIAS America/The Orchard
WINNER: Fables, Philip Chiu, ATMA*Universal
Classical album of the year (large ensemble)
Clara – Robert – Johannes: Lyrical Echoes Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra, conducted by Alexander Shelley, Analekta*F.A.B./The Orchard
Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Ensemble Caprice, Ensemble Vocal Arts-Quebec, conducted by Matthias Maute, featuring Karina Gauvin, Leaf Music*Naxos
Richard Strauss: Metamorphosen – Arvo Pärt: Symphonie No. 4, “Los Angeles,” I Musici de Montréal, conducted by Jean-Marie Zeitouni, ATMA*Universal
WINNER: Viola Borealis, Orchestre de l’Agora, conducted by Nicolas Ellis, featuring Marina Thibeault, ATMA*Universal
Radiant Dawn: Music for Advent and Christmas, The Elora Singers, conducted by Mark Vuorinen, Independent
Classical album of the year (small ensemble)
Nagamo, Andrew Balfour and musica intima Redshift*Independent
Hemsi: Chamber Works, ARC Ensemble Chandos*Naxos/PIAS
Vagues et ombres, collectif9 Alpha*Independent
WINNER: Early Italian Cello Concertos, Elinor Frey and Rosa Barocca, conducted by Claude Lapalme, Analekta*F.A.B./The Orchard
De la cour de Louis XIV à Shippagan! Chants traditionnels acadiens et airs de cour du XVIIe Siècle, Suzie LeBlanc, Marie Nadeau-Tremblay, Vincent Lauzer, and Sylvain Bergeron, ATMA*Universal
Classical composition of the year
“An Overall Augmented Sense of Well-being,” Anthony Tan, Independent
WINNER: “Bestiary I & II,” Bekah Simms, Centrediscs*Naxos
“The Black Fish,” Keyan Emami, Centrediscs*Naxos
“Prayers for Ruins,” Nicole Lizée, Analekta*F.A.B./The Orchard
“Supervillain Études,” Vincent Ho, Navona*Naxos
Contemporary indigenous artist or group of the year
“Watin,” Aysanabee, Ishkōdé*Universal
WINNER: “Zhawenim,” Digging Roots, Ishkōdé*Universal R&B
“Code Red,” Indian City, Rising Sun*Warner
“Beyond the Reservoir,” Julian Taylor, Howling Turtle*Warner
“The Crossing,” Susan Aglukark, Aglukark*Universal/IDLA
Traditional indigenous artist or group of the year
kâkîsimo ᑳᑮᓯᒧᐤ, Cikwes, Nehiyaw Soul*Bigstone Cree Nation
Katajjausiit, Iva & Angu, Independent
Mikwanak Kamôsakinat, Joel Wood, Independent
Ôskimacîtahowin: A New Beginning, Northern Cree, Independent
WINNER: Unbreakable, The Bearhead Sisters, Independent
Comedy album of the year
Let Me Hold Your Baby, Courtney Gilmour, Comedy Records*Independent
Splash Pad, Jackie Pirico, Independent
WINNER: A Person Who Is Gingerbread, Jon Dore, Howl & Roar*Independent
Here Live, Not A Cat, Matt Wright, Chillybrain
Things Black Girls Say – The Album, Zabrina Douglas, Howl & Roar*Independent
Album artwork of the year
Emy Storey (Art Director, Designer, & Photographer), Becca McFarlane and Pamela Littky (Photographer); CRYBABY – Tegan and Sara, Mom+Pop*Redeye
WINNER: Ian Ilavsky (Art Director & Designer), Maciek Szczerbowski (Illustrator); Everything Was Forever Until It Was No More – Esmerine, Constellation*Secretly
Jud Haynes (Art Director & Designer); Kubasongs – Kubasonics, Independent
Kee Avil (Art Director), Lawrence Fafard (Photographer); Crease – Kee Avil, Constellation*Secretly
Lights (Art Director & Illustrator), Virgilio Tzaj (Designer), Matt Barnes (Photographer); PEP – Lights, Fueled By Ramen*Warner
Since 1934, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) has handed out an Oscar for best original song, and many of those now-iconic tunes have more than lived up to that golden title. It’s impossible to think of The Wizard of Oz without hearing “Over the Rainbow”; Dirty Dancing without singing “(I’ve Had) The Time of my Life”; or Pinocchio without humming “When You Wish Upon a Star.”
With musical heavy-hitters like Rihanna, David Byrne, Mitski and previous Oscar-winner Lady Gaga all in the running for best original song in 2023, whoever wins will be in awfully good company. (And, who knows? Maybe this will be the year that long-time nominee Diane Warren finally gets her flowers.)
Whether it’s Billie Eilish becoming James Bond musical royalty in 2021 with “No Time to Die,” Eminem putting hip-hop on the Oscar map in 2002 with “Lose Yourself,” Bruce Springsteen bringing us all to tears in 1993 with the “Streets of Philadelphia,” Isaac Hayes making Oscar history as the first African-American to win the best original song category in 1971 for “Theme from Shaft” or Irving Berlin creating a perennial holiday classic in 1942 with “White Christmas,” these Academy Award winners have spanned generations — and made for one incredible, albeit wildly eclectic, soundtrack.
In no particular order, here are the 15 greatest Oscar-winning songs of all-time. And if you don’t see your personal favorite listed here, well, no disrespect is intended. Unless, of course, that song landed on our list of the 15 worst Oscar-winning songs of all time. In that case, well, sorry.
“Over the Rainbow,” Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg from The Wizard of Oz
Image Credit: Courtesy Everett Collection
As timeless as they come. The legendary Judy Garland singing the splendid “Over the Rainbow” in The Wizard of Oz is pretty much the gold standard of movie magic.
“Lose Yourself,” Eminem from 8 Mile
Eminem’s amped-up anthem made Oscar history back in 2002, becoming the first-ever hip-hop track to win an Academy Award for best original song. While other hip-hop artists have been able to take home Oscars since, none of them have paid homage to both mom’s spaghetti and Mekhi Pfifer. Listen here.
“Falling Slowly,” Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová from Once
Basically every song from Once is Oscar-worthy (yep, even “Broken Hearted Hoover Fixer Sucker Guy”), but “Falling Slowly” is the one that made everyone fall madly in love with the duo and their little movie (and eventually, Broadway show) that could. Listen here.
“Take My Breath Away,” Giorgio Moroder and Tom Whitlock from Top Gun
Image Credit: ©Paramount / courtesy Everett Collection
This soaring, synth-y ballad not only took Berlin all the way to the top of the Billboard Hot 100, but to the dizzying heights of having performed a song that won an Academy Award (for songwriters Giorgio Moroder and Tom Whitlock).
“Theme from Shaft,” Isaac Hayes from Shaft
The grooviest, funkiest and all-around coolest best original song winner not only made the Shaft soundtrack an essential record, but it made Oscar history when Isaac Hayes became the first African-American to win in this category. Don’t like it? Shut your mouth. Listen here.
“White Christmas,” Irving Berlin from Holiday Inn
There are two best original song Oscar winners that became bona fide Christmastime essentials: “White Christmas” from 1942’s Holiday Inn and “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” from 1949’s Neptune’s Daughter. However, only one of these classics managed to remain an unproblematic fave. Listen here.
“Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head,” Burt Bacharach and Hal David from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
The incomparable Burt Bacharach earned five Oscar nominations and won twice in this category over the course of his career. Has there ever been a better song to get you out of a funk than this one? We’d be hard-pressed to find it. Listen here.
“Moon River,” Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer from Breakfast at Tiffany’s
Image Credit: Courtesy Everett Collection
Audrey Hepburn plucking her guitar and crooning out of her New York City window made its mark on cinema in 1961, and various covers (from Andy Williams to Frank Ocean) have kept it a pop culture staple over the years. Still, nothing beats the dreamy version seen in the film.
“Jai Ho,” A. R. Rahman and Guizar from Slumdog Millionaire
Before Marvel movies were keeping people planted firmly in their seats as the credits rolled, Slumdog Millionaire had audiences dancing in the aisles to this Indian pop crowd-pleaser. (It’s also the only Oscar-winning song to date to get its very own treatment by The Pussycat Dolls.) Listen here.
“The Way You Look Tonight,” Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields from Swing Time
If anyone could make audiences feel like they were floating on air during the Great Depression, it was Fred Astaire. One of the most romantic songs ever written, if you haven’t heard one of its many iterations on the big screen, you’ve most certainly heard it at a wedding or two hundred. Listen here.
“(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life,” by Franke Previte, John DeNicola & Donald Markowitz from Dirty Dancing
Image Credit: ©Vestron Pictures/courtesy Everett Collection
Nobody puts Baby in a corner. In fact, Baby stars in one of the most satisfying movie finales ever set to ’80s pop perfection.
“Last Dance,” Paul Jabara from Thank God It’s Friday
Sure, it’s from the worst movie on this list by a mile, but this disco staple — performed by dancefloor queen Donna Summer — has been telling party-going night owls to call it an evening since 1978. Listen here.
“When You Wish Upon a Star,” Leigh Harline and Ned Washington from Pinocchio
Disney is no stranger to winning in this category, but it’s hard to top the OG recipient: “When You Wish Upon a Star.” Perhaps the song still most associated with the movie studio to this day, this Jiminy Cricket (Cliff Edwards) tune has been packing a big punch since 1940. Listen here.
“Streets of Philadelphia,” Bruce Springsteen from Philadelphia
Neil Young’s “Philadelphia” (which was also nominated that year) may actually pack the bigger emotional wallop in the 1993 drama, but you can’t argue with the power of The Boss and the aching sense of hope lost in this powerful ballad. Listen here.
“Shallow,” Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando & Andrew Wyatt from A Star Is Born
Image Credit: Courtesy Photo
When you think of “Shallow” and its big night at the 2019 Oscars, it’s all but impossible not to conjure up sexy, smoldering thoughts of that swoon-worthy live performance by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper. Their chemistry truly sent us all off the deep end.
For every time the Oscars gets something so very right (i.e. Parasite winning best picture in 2019), the Academy Awards can also get other things so very wrong (remember when Crash triumphed over Brokeback Mountain or how they were so transparently skewed they generated the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite?).
The best original song category is no stranger to some regrettable follies. After all, this is a category that has nominated living legend Diane Warren 14 times and sent her home empty handed every single time. (“I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing,” “Because You Loved Me,” and “‘Til It Happens To You” sure seemed like locks at the time, and then, nadda.) It’s also the same category that controversially nominated a track from an obscure Christian flick back in 2014, only to have to revoke it later.
Of course, some of the most egregious Oscar moments have come from giving an Academy Award to confounding song selections. From forgettable Disney ditties to treacly disaster flick ballads (the only thing worse than perishing in The Towering Inferno or The Poseidon Adventure was the music accompanying them), there have been more than a few times when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) showed that they can be utterly tone deaf. (Apologies in advance to talented icons Phil Collins, Barbra Streisand, Elton John and repeat offender Randy Newman.)
In no particular order, these are one critic’s picks for the 15 worst Oscar-winning songs of all-time. Hey, you can’t get them all right.
“Writing’s on the Wall,” Jimmy Napes and Sam Smith from Spectre
Image Credit: Courtesy Photo
Putting aside the fact that this is one of the more lackluster James Bond songs (we dare you to try and hum this one from memory), what was even more bleak was having it triumph over Lady Gaga’s “Til It Happens to You,” a harrowing ode to survivors of sexual assault, from The Hunting Ground.
“You’ll Be in My Heart,” Phil Collins from Tarzan
A forgettable song from a forgettable movie, Phil Collins’ snoozer inexplicably beat out both Aimee Mann’s haunting “Save Me” and Trey Parker and Marc Shaiman’s hilarious “Blame Canada.” It’s the Crash of best original song winners: its victory remains baffling as ever. Listen here.
“The Morning After,” Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn from The Poseidon Adventure
Talk about a disaster: this waterlogged ballad bested Michael Jackson’s far superior “Ben.” Listen here.
“You Must Love Me,” Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice from Evita
Image Credit: Courtesy Photo
Must we? Because, honestly, Madonna has had infinitely better and more deserving songs from movies, including the Oscar-winning Stephen Sondheim composition “Sooner or Later (I Always Get My Man)” from Dick Tracy. Worst of all, this drowsy ballad unreasonably won over the toe-tapping perfection that is “That Thing You Do!”
“We May Never Love Like This Again,” Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn from The Towering Inferno
Kasha and Hirschhorn gave us yet another musical mishap from a ’70s disaster flick, toppling a better song; in this case, the self-titled, gut-busting theme to Blazing Saddles. Listen here.
“Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah,” Allie Wrubel and Ray Gilbert from Song of the South
Like Splash Mountain, it’s time to once and for all bid this song from this racist garbage adieu-dah. Listen here.
“You Light Up My Life,” Joseph Brooks from You Light Up My Life
While other wistful ballads have managed to stand the test of time, this one is about as corny as it gets. It’s best known as something you dread hearing in the dentist chair. Plus, it somehow beat a killer Bond song! (In this case, Carly Simon’s “Nobody Does it Better.”) Listen here.
“Can You Feel the Love Tonight,” Elton John and Tim Rice from The Lion King
Image Credit: Courtesy Photo
Disney had the best original song category in a chokehold for the ’90s (see: “Beauty and the Beast,” “A Whole New World,” “Colors of the Wind.”). But it was The Lion King that dominated in 1994, garnering three song nominations with “Circle of Life,” “Hakuna Matata” and the eventual winner, which was the weakest of the bunch, “Can You Feel the Love Tonight.” Not a bad song, but “Circle of Life” soars higher.
“The Shadow of Your Smile,” Johnny Mandel and Paul Francis Webster from The Sandpiper
Awarding this cocktail lounge ditty over “What’s New, Pussycat”? Whoa-ah-ohhhh-ah-no. Listen here.
“Sweet Leilani,” Harry Owens from Waikiki Wedding
Like being stuck in the luau from hell, this sappy island tune somehow bested the Gershwins’ legendary “They Can’t Take That Away From Me.” Listen here.
“I Need to Wake Up,” Melissa Etheridge from An Inconvenient Truth
Image Credit: Courtesy Photo
This song means well, it really does. But for a song that’s supposed to capture the urgency of the global warming crisis, it barely scratches the emotional surface of the rapidly melting iceberg. Sorry to put you in second place again, Al Gore, but this one belonged to “Listen” from Dreamgirls.
“Secret Love,” Sammy Fain and Paul Francis Webster from Calamity Jane
As painful as it is to put the incomparable Doris Day on a worst-of anything list, this saccharine ballad doesn’t quite hold a candle to the song it beat out: Dean Martin’s absolutely essential “That’s Amore.” Listen here.
“We Belong Together,” Randy Newman from Toy Story 3
There was no way Randy Newman was ever going to be able to top “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” in the Toy Story universe, but maybe the Academy felt bad for snubbing that one all the way back in 1995 and awarded this subpar entry instead. Listen here.
“If I Didn’t Have You,” Randy Newman from Monsters, Inc.
Sorry to do this to you twice, Randy! But Enya’s “May It Be” from The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings is the one song to rule them all. Listen here.
“Evergreen (Love Theme From A Star Is Born),” Barbra Streisand and Paul Williams from A Star Is Born
Image Credit: Courtesy Photo
With all due respect to music/screen/stage legend Streisand, this song is no “Shallow,” and as far as 1976 is concerned, that year’s theme song was “Gonna Fly Now” from Rocky.