Oscar Music Spotlight
Barbie is likely to be well represented when the Academy Award shortlists are revealed Dec. 21. At least two (and maybe even three) songs from the box-office juggernaut could be in contention for best original song (though only two from a film can be nominated, according to a 2008 rule change).
Diane Warren and Alan Menken are each looking to score their 15th best original song nominations, a benchmark that only five songwriters have reached. If John Williams and the late Robbie Robertson are nominated for best original score, each could make history.
âIâm Just KenâMark Ronson, Andrew WyattBarbie, Warner Bros.
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Ronson and Wyatt won in this category five years ago for co-writing âShallowâ from AÂ Star Is Born. âIâm Just Ken,â sung by Ryan Gosling, provided one of the funniest sequences in Barbie. Ronson and Wyatt could have a second Barbie song on the shortlist â the bubbly âDance the Night,â which they co-wrote with Dua Lipa and Caroline Ailin.
âWhat Was I Made For?âBillie Eilish, FINNEASBarbie, Warner Bros.
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The siblings won in this category two years ago for their title song to the James Bond film No Time To Die. Theyâre likely to be nominated for this tender ballad, which Barbie director Greta Gerwig has described as her movieâs âheartâ song. Barbie is vying to become the first film with two best original song nominees since La La Land seven years ago.
âKeep It MovinââHalle Bailey, Denisia Andrews, Brittany Coney, Morten RistorpThe Color Purple, Warner Bros.
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Bailey (as young Nettie) and Phylicia Pearl Mpasi (as young Celie) sing this song onscreen in this new iteration of The Color Purple. âMiss Celieâs Blues (Sister),â from the original 1985 film, was nominated in this category. Quincy Jones, who co-wrote that song with Rod Temperton and Lionel Richie, served as a producer of both films.
âOut Alpha the AlphaâMarius de Vries, Josh Sharp, Aaron Jackson, Karl Saint LucyDicks: The Musical, A24
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Megan Thee Stallion sings this ribald song onscreen in Dicks: The Musical, which is based on an off-Broadway show with an even more risquĂ© title, Fâking Identical Twins. The rap star is also in the cast, along with another famous Megan (Mullally), as well as Bowen Yang and Nathan Lane. Megan Thee Stallion took part in an all-star performance of âWe Donât Talk About Brunoâ on the Oscar telecast two years ago.
âThe Fire InsideâDiane WarrenFlaminâ Hot, Hulu/Searchlight Pictures
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Warren has been nominated in this category the last six years in a row. If she makes it again this year, sheâll have the longest consecutive streak of best original song nods since Sammy Cahn was nominated eight years running (1954-61). The indefatigable Warren has a second song in play, âGonna Be Youâ from 80 for Brady.
âHigh LifeâGary Clark, John CarneyFlora and Son, Apple
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In addition to co-writing this song, Carney wrote and directed the film. Two of Carneyâs previous films, Once and Begin Again, yielded best original song nominees (and a winner in the case of Once). Clark, a Scottish musician-songwriter, was the frontman of 1980s pop band Danny Wilson. Eve Hewson, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, OrĂ©n Kinlan and Jack Reynor sing âHigh Lifeâ onscreen in Flora and Son.
âCanât Catch Me NowâDan Nigro, Olivia RodrigoThe Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, Lionsgate
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The Hunger Games franchise has yet to receive an Oscar nod in any category, but the red-hot Rodrigo is at the point in her career that the music branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is likely to pay notice. She and Nigro have received two Grammy nods for song of the year, for âdrivers licenseâ and âVampire.â Will the moody and atmospheric âCanât Catch Me Nowâ find favor here?
âFor the First TimeâAlan Menken, Lin-Manuel MirandaThe Little Mermaid, Disney
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Menken is an EGOT winner, and Miranda will be one as soon as he wins an Oscar. Menken won his first of four Oscars in this category for âUnder the Seaâ from the original 1989 iteration of The Little Mermaid. Halle Bailey sings âFor the First Timeâ onscreen in the film. Two other Menken-Miranda songs from the film, âWild Uncharted Watersâ and âThe Scuttlebutt,â are also in play.
âFind a WayâLinda PerryNyad, Netflix
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This would be the first Oscar nod for Perry, a two-time Grammy nominee for song of the year. Annette Bening and Jodie Foster star in the film, which tells the story of Diana Nyad who, at age 64, undertook a 110-mile swim from Cuba to Florida. Perry named her song after the title of Nyadâs book, on which the movie is based.
âRoad to FreedomâLenny KravitzRustin, Netflix
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Kravitz, a four-time Grammy winner for best male rock vocal performance, could score his first Oscar nod for this song from a biopic about Bayard Rustin, a lesser-known but crucial figure in the civil rights struggle. The filmâs director, George C. Wolfe, helmed the 2020 movie Ma Raineyâs Black Bottom, which received five Oscar nods.
âAddicted to RomanceâPatti Scialfa, Bruce SpringsteenShe Came to Me, Vertical Entertainment
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Springsteen won an Oscar in 1994 for âStreets of Philadelphiaâ and was nominated again two years later for âDead Man Walkinâ.â This would be his first nomination with a collaborator â his wife, Scialfa. The original score was composed by The Nationalâs Bryce Dessner. Peter Dinklage and Marisa Tomei star in the film.
âAm I DreamingâA$AP Rocky, Metro Boomin, Michael Dean, Peter Lee Johnson, Roisee, ScriptpluggSpider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Sony Pictures
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Spider-Man: Into the Spider Verse won an Oscar for best animated feature film five years ago, though its biggest hit, âSunflowerâ by Post Malone and Swae Lee, missed out on a best original song nod. Metro Boomin curated the soundtrack to this film, which reached No. 5 on the Billboard 200 in June. A$AP Rockyâs partner, Rihanna, was nominated in this category last year.
âPeachesâJack Black, Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic, Eric Osmond, John SpikerThe Super Mario Bros. Movie, Illumination/Nintendo/Universal
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This was the yearâs second-Âbiggest hit at the box office, behind Barbie. In addition to co-writing and performing the song, Black was in the animated filmâs voice cast as Bowser. This would be the first Oscar nomination for Black, who won a Grammy for best metal performance nine years ago for a track he recorded with Tenacious D for a Ronnie James Dio tribute album.
âBetter PlaceâAmy Allen, Shellback, Justin TimberlakeTrolls Band Together, DreamWorks Animation
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Animated characters portraying *NSYNC perform this song onscreen in the movie. Timberlake was nominated in this category seven years ago for co-writing âCanât Stop the Feeling!â for the first Trolls film. He and the other members of *NSYNC are in the voice cast, along with Anna Kendrick, Kid Cudi, Troye Sivan, Camila Cabello and Anderson .Paak, among others.
âThis WishâJulia Michaels, Benjamin Rice, JPÂ SaxeWish, Disney
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Michaels and Saxe received a Grammy nod for song of the year three years ago for their collaboration âIf the World Was Ending.â It was Michaelsâ second nod in that category; her first was for co-writing her breakthrough hit, âIssues.â Ariana DeBose, an Oscar winner for the West Side Story remake, sings âThis Wish.â Sheâs also in the voice cast, along with Chris Pine and Victor Garber.
American Fiction (Orion Pictures/Amazon MGM)Laura Karpman
Karpman could be headed for her first Oscar nod for her score to this satirical film that was written and directed by Cord Jefferson (in his feature directorial debut). The film stars Jeffrey Wright, Tracee Ellis Ross, Issa Rae and Sterling K. Brown. Karpman won a Primetime Emmy three years ago for scoring The Discovery Channelâs Why We Hate.
Barbie (Warner Bros.)Mark Ronson, Andrew Wyatt
Ronson and Wyatt, who executive-produced the hit soundtrack album â and were involved in writing and producing several of its tracks â could be headed for their first nod in this category. Wyatt has co-written songs for several Ronson albums. In 2012, the two musicians collaborated on a ballet score for The Royal Ballet of London.
Elemental (Pixar)Thomas Newman
If Newman is nominated, this would be his 15th nod in the category, a total so far achieved by only eight composers in Oscar history. Unlike them, though, he has yet to win. Newman is the youngest son of the late Alfred Newman, who amassed 41 nominations in this category, winning a record nine times.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (Disney)John Williams
This would be Williamsâ record-extending 49th nod in a scoring category and his fourth for a film in the Indiana Jones franchise. In total, it would be Williamsâ 54th Oscar nomination (the other five are for best original song), which would pull him closer to Walt Disneyâs all-time record of 59 for an individual.
The Killer (Netflix)Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross
This would be the fourth nod in this category for Reznor and Ross following The Social Network, Mank and Soul (a collaboration with Jon Batiste). David Fincher, who directed The Social Network and Mank, also directed The Killer. Reznor and Ross won for both The Social Network and Soul. Michael Fassbender and Tilda Swinton star in The Killer.
Killers of the Flower Moon (Apple)Robbie Robertson
This was the 12th and last Martin Scorsese film that Robertson worked on. Robertson, who died in June at age 80, would become the first composer to be nominated in this category posthumously since Bernard Herrmann was cited in 1976 for both Obsession and Taxi Driver. Two other Scorsese regulars, Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro, star in the film.
Nyad (Netflix)Alexandre Desplat
This would be Desplatâs 12th nomination in this category, all since 2006. Thatâs more than anyone else has accumulated in that period. The French composer has won twice, for The Grand Budapest Hotel and The Shape of Water. This would be Desplatâs first nod in the 2020s, following three in the 2000s and eight in the 2010s.
Oppenheimer (Universal Pictures)Ludwig Göransson
The Swedish composer won in this category five years ago for scoring Black Panther. He was nominated for an Oscar last year for co-writing a song for the sequel. Oppenheimer was the yearâs fifth-biggest box-office hit, a strong showing for a three-hour adult drama. The Christopher Nolan film was based on the book American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer.
Clockwise: Elemental, Killers of the Flower Moon, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and Oppenheimer.
Disney/Pixar; Melinda Sue Gordon; Sony Pictures.
Origin (Neon)Kris Bowers
Origin is the fifth feature film directed by Ava DuVernay. Her 2014 historical drama, Selma, yielded the Oscar-winning song âGloryâ by Common and John Legend. Bowers was nominated for documentary (short subject) three years ago for co-directing AÂ Concerto Is a Conversation, which centered on his conversations with his jazz pianist grandfather. This would be his first nod in a scoring category.
Past Lives (A24)Christopher Bear & Daniel Rossen
Past Lives was written and directed by Celine Song in her feature directorial debut. The film, which stars Greta Lee, Teo Yoo and John Magaro, follows the relationship between two childhood friends over 24 years. Bear and Rossen are members of veteran indie rock band Grizzly Bear, which has landed two top 10 albums on the Billboard 200.
Rustin (Netflix)Branford Marsalis
This would be the first Oscar nomination for jazz saxophonist Marsalis, who is a three-time Grammy winner. Marsalis received a Primetime Emmy nod two years ago for outstanding music composition for a documentary series or special for Tulsa Burning: The 1921 Race Massacre, which aired on the HISTORY Channel.
Saltburn (Amazon/MGM)Anthony Willis
This would be the Australian composerâs first Oscar nod after building a reputation with his scores for How To Train Your Dragon: Homecoming (2019), Promising Young Woman (2020) and M3GAN (2022). Saltburn is the second film to be written, directed and co-produced by Emerald Fennell following Promising Young Woman. Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi and Rosamund Pike star in the psychological thriller.
Society of the Snow (Netflix)Michael Giacchino
This would be Giacchinoâs third nomination in this category following Ratatouille (2007) and Up (2009). He won for the latter. Society of the Snow is a 2023 survival thriller about a 1972 flight disaster in Argentinaâs Andes Mountains. The cast comprises Uruguayan and Argentine actors, most of whom are newcomers to the craft. The film is scheduled to be released in theaters on Dec. 15.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Sony Pictures)Daniel Pemberton
The English composer has yet to be nominated in this category. His only Oscar nod is for co-writing âHear My Voiceâ from The Trial of the Chicago 7, a best original song nominee three years ago. This film is a sequel to 2018âs Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, which Pemberton also scored.
The Zone of Interest (A24)Mica Levi
The English composer was nominated in this category seven years ago for Jackie. The Zone of Interest, based on a Martin Amis novel, revolves around Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Höss and his wife and their plans to build a dream life next to the concentration camp. The film, which was written and directed by Jonathan Glazer, is set to be released in the United States on Dec. 15.
Additional reporting by Melinda Newman.
This story will appear in the Nov. 18, 2023, issue of Billboard.
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