The legend is a previous winner in this category, for “Glória” de Selma. Warren, despite 11 nominations, has not yet won.
This is the second time in three years that Oscar has revealed its lists in the music categories in which two composers or teams of composers had two songs on the list in the same year. Two years ago, two pairs of composers – Marc Shaiman & Scott Wittman and Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt – each had two pre-selected songs. Ronson and Wyatt won the award for “Shallow”, which they co-wrote with Lady Gaga and Anthony Rossomando.
Four of the five Golden Globe nominees for best original song made the Oscar list, but one, “Tigresa & Tweed”, by The United States vs. Billie Holiday, fell short. The songs nominated for Globo that made the list are “Fight for You”, by Judas and the Black Messiah, “Io sì (visa)” by Life ahead, “Speak now” from One night in miami and “Hear My Voice” by The Chicago Trial 7.
So Andra Day’s hopes of receiving Oscar nominations for actor and songwriter in the same year end here. But Leslie Odom Jr.’s hope of achieving those double nods lives on. Odom was selected to “Speak Now” by One night in Miami …. If Odom is nominated in the composition and acting categories, he will join Mary J. Blige, Lady Gaga and Cynthia Erivo as the only artists to achieve these double nods in the same year.
Blige is on the shortlist this year with “See What You Done” by Beast’s belly. If the song is nominated, Blige will become the second black songwriter, following Siedah Garrett, to receive two nods in this category.
HER, Dernst Emile II and Tiara Thomas were selected to co-write “Fight For You” by Judas and the Black Messiah. These three writers were nominated for a Grammy this year for co-writing their socially charged “I Can’t Breathe” by HER.
Savan Kotecha, Rickard Göransson and fat max Gsus were selected for “Husavik” by Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga. The three composers were nominated for a Grammy this year for the best compilation soundtrack for visual media for their work on this film.
“Wuhan Flu” from Borat Subsequent Moviefilm made the list, although of the nine writers who are credited in music on IMDb.com, only three are credited here: Sacha Baron Cohen, Anthony Hines and Erran Baron Cohen. From the Oscar rules book: “Usually, no more than two statuettes will be given in the original music category. A third statuette can be awarded when there are three essentially equal composers for a song. The executive committee of the musical branch has the right, in what it alone considers a very rare and extraordinary circumstance, to grant a fourth statuette.
Four of the 15 selected songs are from documentaries that entered the competition for the best documentary: “Turntables” by All In: The struggle for democracy, “See what you’ve done” by Beast’s belly, “Never Break” by Giving Voice and “Show Me Your Soul” by Mr. Alma!.
Here is a complete list of the 15 selected songs, listed (by Oscar default) in alphabetical order by movie title:
“Turntables”
Janelle “Django Jane” Monáe, Nathaniel Irvin III and George “George 2.0.” A. Peters II
All In: The struggle for democracy (Amazon Studios)
“See what you’ve done”
Mary J. Blige, Nova Wav and DJ Camper
Beast’s belly (Independent lens)
“Wuhan Flu”
Sacha Baron Cohen, Anthony Hines and Erran Baron Cohen
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivering prodigious bribes to the American regime for benefits that was once the glorious nation of Kazakhstan (Amazon Studios)
“Husavik”
Savan Kotecha, Rickard Göransson and fat max Gsus
Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (Netflix)
“Never Break”
John Legend, Nasri Atweh, Benjamin Hudson McIldowie and Greg Wells
Giving Voice (Netflix)
“Make it work”
John Legend
Jingle Jangle: a Christmas journey (Netflix)
“Fight for you”
HER, Dernst Emile II and Tiara Thomas
Judas and the Black Messiah (Warner Bros)
“Io sì (view)”
Diane Warren, Laura Pausini and Niccolò Agliardi
Future Life (La Vita Davanti a Se) (Netflix)
“Rain Song”
Emile Mosseri
Minari (A24)
“Show me your soul”
Robert Glasper, Muhammad Ayers
“Sir. Alma!” (Bed Shoe Productions, LLC)
“Loyal Brave True”
Jamie Hartman, Harry Gregson-Williams, Rosi Golan and Billy Crabtree
Mulan (Disney +)
“Free”
Diane Warren
The Only Ivan (Disney +)
“Speak Now”
Leslie Odom, Jr. and Sam Ashworth
One night in Miami … (Amazon Studios)
“Green”
Abraham Marder
Metal sound (Amazon Studios)
“Listen to my voice”
Daniel Pemberton and Celeste
The Chicago Trial 7 (Netflix)
These 15 songs were selected by the musical branch of 376 members of the Academy, among 105 songs eligible for the category. Members of the music business will also select the five nominees, which will be revealed on March 15th. All voting members of the Oscars will vote to determine the winners, which will be announced on April 25th.
Highly praised songs that failed to make the list include “Only the Young” (Taylor Swift & Joel Little), American Miss (Netflix); “Just Sing” (Justin Timberlake, Ludwig Göransson, Max Martin and Sarah Aarons), Trolls: world tour (Universal); “Tigress and Tweed” (Raphael Saadiq and Andra Day), The United States vs. Billie Holiday (Hulu); “Everybody Cries” (Rod Lurie, Larry Groupe, Rita Wilson), The Outpost (Screen Media Films); and “Carried Me With You” (Brandi Carlile, Phil Hanseroth & Tim Hanseroth), Forward (Pixar).
Other songs that missed the cut include “Wear Your Crown” (Adam Anders, Peer Astrom, Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin), The prom (Netflix); “How Can I Tell You” (Lynn Ahrens & Stephen Flaherty), Nasrin (Virgil Films / Kino Marquee); “Rocket to the Moon” (Christopher Curtis, Marjorie Duffield and Helen Park), About the Moon (Netflix); “Uh Oh” (Cynthia Nabozny, Matias Mora and Mia Minichiello), Promising young woman (Focus features); “I’m going to sing” (Sinéad O’Connor), Wild Mountain Thyme (Bleecker Street); and “The Plan” (Jacques Webster II (Travis Scott), Ludwig Göransson & Ebony Oshunrinde), Principle (Warner Bros.).