With the Oscars shortlists unveiled in late December, we now know the final 15 films in official contention for the five nomination spots for Best Original Song. The major contenders all made it through with the only true surprise being the exclusion of “Every Letter” from Cyrano. As a wholly original musical, most pundits presumed it was in with a decent shot to see one of its songs represented. The Academy seems to have favoured the token one original song from musicals filled with pre-existing material like the critically-reviled Dear Evan Hansen and Cinderella.
Given No Time to Die made its way onto five category shortlists and Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry is in the final 15 for Best Documentary Feature, I’m pushing Eilish’s title track into the top spot this month. There’s clearly a lot of love for the film on a technical level and the singer/songwriter herself. Eilish could make it three in a row for Bond theme songs taking home an Oscar.
Along with Eilish, the other two locks for a nomination appear to be Beyonce’s “Be Alive” from King Richard and “Dos Oruguitas” from Encanto. Though with “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” now a bonafide chart hit, it seems Disney may have chosen chose the wrong track to submit. If Belfast dominates across the board, “Down to Joy” should be swept along for the ride. And I have a sneaking suspicion Jay-Z will join his wife with a nomination for “Guns Go Bang” from The Harder They Fall.
If there are two contenders to keep an eye on, it’s “Right Where I Belong” from Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road and “Your Song Save My Life” from Sing 2. The Academy often can’t resist nominated a new song from a music legend (Sting, Elton John, Glen Campbell, to name a few), so Wilson fits that bill this year. That also applies to the U2 and their stirring ballad from Sing 2. The band have been Oscar nominated twice before, so a third nod wouldn’t be a huge surprise.
BEST ORIGINAL SONG PREDICTIONS:
1. “No Time to Die” – No Time to Die (Universal Pictures)
2. “Be Alive” – King Richard (Warner Bros.)
3. “Dos Oruguitas” – Encanto (Disney)
4. “Down to Joy” – Belfast (Focus Features)
5. “Guns Go Bang” – The Harder They Fall (Netflix)
IN CONTENTION
“So May We Start” – Annette (Amazon Studios)
“Right Where I Belong” – Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road (Screen Media)
“Automatic Woman” – Bruised (Netflix)
“Dream Girl” – Cinderella (Amazon Studios)
“Beyond the Shore” – CODA (Apple TV+)
“The Anonymous Ones” – Dear Evan Hansen (Universal Pictures)
“Just Look Up” – Don’t Look Up (Netflix)
“Somehow You Do” – Four Good Days (Vertical Entertainment)
“Here I Am (Singing My Way Home)” – Respect (Universal Pictures)
“Your Song Saved My Life” – Sing 2 (Universal Pictures)