Academy reveals 75 Songs Eligible for Best Original Song Oscar
Each year, from a stringent set of criteria, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences pares down the list of every available song penned specifically for a motion picture to a manageable voting number of qualifying finalists. I should know, anyway, since I've been covering the Oscars for well over a decade, even though they keep changing the rules for this category, which often results in an underwhelming field, where too few songs get the necessary percentage of votes to be nominated, and we end up with a two song category...you know, like last year (but hey, anything that made "Man or Muppet" a shoo-in for an Oscar is okay by me). That said, the rules in this write-up seem to indicate that we're back to a year in which we're guaranteed five nominees, so as an unabashed Oscar enthusiast (of which there are exceedingly few), color me stoked. Or bad. Whichever fits.
So why does this category even matter? Well, to those who don't really care about these kinds of awards show, the answer is simple: it doesn't. But to those who are even just casual viewers, Best Original Song is likely the best chance for someone you wouldn't normally associate with the hoity-toity Academy to actually win Oscar gold. Hell, Three 6 Mafia have an Oscar, as do musicians from Carly Simon to Melissa Etheridge, from Stevie Wonder to Prince.
A reminder for how this goes: the nomination/award itself are for the songwriter. So, for instance, if "One Wing" from the movie "Sparkle" gets nominated, Jordin Sparks will not be an Academy Award nominee. Sure, she sings the song, but she didn't write it. That would be R. Kelly. And hey, why not Academy Award nominee R. Kelly? Might as well, if the world's going to end anyway.
“For You” from “Act of Valor”“Metaphorical Blanket” from “Any Day Now”
“Let It Rain” from “Being Flynn”
“Learn Me Right” from “Brave”
“Touch the Sky” from “Brave”
“Airport” from “Brooklyn Brothers Beat the Best”
“Come on Girl” from “Brooklyn Brothers Beat the Best”
“Someday” from “Brooklyn Brothers Beat the Best”
“Protect the King” from “Brooklyn Castle”
“California Solo” from “California Solo”
“Casa De Mi Padre” from “Casa De Mi Padre”
“Del Cielo” from “Casa De Mi Padre”
“Yo No Se” from “Casa De Mi Padre”
“No Other Plans” from “Celeste and Jesse Forever”
“Before My Time” from “Chasing Ice”
“By the Light of the Moon” from “Crossroad”
“The Sambola! International Dance Craze” from “Damsels in Distress”
“When You Comin’ Home” from “Darling Companion”
“Death by China” from “Death by China”
“Delhi Safari” from “Delhi Safari”
“Ancora Qui” from “Django Unchained”
“Freedom” from “Django Unchained”
“100 Black Coffins” from “Django Unchained”
“Who Did That to You?” from “Django Unchained”
“How Bad Can I Be?” from “Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax”
“Let It Grow” from “Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax”
“Thneedville” from “Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax”
“Ain’t No Train” from “Downtown Express”
“You Don’t Have to Be a Star” from “Fame High”
“Jose’s Martyrdom” from “For Greater Glory: The True Story of Cristiada”
“Strange Love” from “Frankenweenie”
“Voodoo” from “Halloween Party”
“Luna Nascosta” from “Hidden Moon”
“Song of the Lonely Mountain” from “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”
“Abraham’s Daughter” from “The Hunger Games”
“Master of the Seas” from “Ice Age Continental Drift”
“We Are” from “Ice Age Continental Drift”
“Looking for a Sign” from “Jeff, Who Lives at Home”
“From Here to the Moon and Back” from “Joyful Noise”
“He’s Everything” from “Joyful Noise”
“I’m Yours” from “Joyful Noise”
“Wide Awake” from “Katy Perry: Part of Me”
“Cosmonaut” from “Lawless”
“Beaten Up and Broken Down” from “Least among Saints”
“Suddenly” from “Les Misérables”
“Pi’s Lullaby” from “Life of Pi”
“When I Grow Up” from “Losing Control”
“Love Always Comes as a Surprise” from “Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted”
“Ladies of Tampa” from “Magic Mike”
“The Baddest Man Alive” from “The Man with the Iron Fists”
“This Gift” from “The Odd Life of Timothy Green”
“Still Alive” from “Paul Williams Still Alive”
“Dotted Line” from “People Like Us”
“Snake Eyes” from “Promised Land”
“Razors.Out” from “The Raid: Redemption”
“I’m Not Leaving” from “Re:Generation”
“Still Dream” from “Rise of the Guardians”
“Undercover Love” from “Rock of Ages”
“Big Machine” from “Safety Not Guaranteed”
“I Be Here” from “Saint Dracula”
“I Have Secrets” from “Saint Dracula”
“Skyfall” from “Skyfall”
“Breath of Life” from “Snow White and the Huntsman”
“Gone” from “Snow White and the Huntsman”
“One Wing” from “Sparkle”
“Not Running Anymore” from “Stand Up Guys”
“Feel Love” from “Struck by Lightning”
“Everybody Needs a Best Friend” from “Ted”
“Never Had” from “10 Years”
“Dull Tool” from “This Is 40?
“She Won’t Let Go” from “Until They Are Home”
“Kiss Me Goodbye” from “Virginia”
“Anything Made of Paper” from “West of Memphis”
“Hashishet Albi” from “Where Do We Go Now?”
“When Can I See You Again?” from “Wreck-It Ralph”
During the nominations process, all voting members of the Music Branch will receive a Reminder List of works submitted in the category and a DVD copy of the song clips. Members will be asked to watch the clips and then vote in the order of their preference for not more than five achievements in the category. The five achievements receiving the highest number of votes will become the nominations for final voting for the award.
To be eligible, a song must consist of words and music, both of which are original and written specifically for the film. A clearly audible, intelligible, substantive rendition of both lyric and melody must be used in the body of the film or as the first music cue in the end credits.
This list is interesting for several reasons: Arcade Fire's "Abraham's Daughter" from The Hunger Games made the cut, but not it-girl Taylor Swift's "Safe and Sound", which is as close to a sure-thing as was plausible with this sort of category. Meanwhile, Rick Ross could find himself nominated for his contribution to Quentin Tarantino's "Django Unchained", a ditty called "100 Black Coffins" which was produced by Jamie Foxx.
Other potential nominees of interest: Adele, who co-wrote the eponymous megahit "Skyfall"; Fiona Apple, who contributes a song to Judd Apatow's "This Is 40"; Oscar host Seth MacFarlane and singer Nora Jones, who co-wrote "Everybody Needs A Best Friend" from summer hit "Ted"; and Katy Perry, whose "Wide Awake" could score her an Oscar nomination, as she apparently wrote the song for her 3D concert movie/documentary from this past summer.
Oscar nominations are announced Thursday, January 10.
Full story: Deadline
