HOLLYWOOD, CA – FEBRUARY 27: Singer Beyonce Knowles arrives the 77th Annual Academy Awards at the … [+]
The nominations for the ninety-fourth Academy Awards were unveiled today (February 8), and this time around, the Best Original Song category is largely populated by well-known singers and songwriters, many of whom have successful pop careers of their own. Sometimes the field is dominated by behind-the-scenes talents the public might not be familiar with, but that is not the case in 2022. That fact will make the race even more exciting to watch than usual, and it means that producers of the program may be more inclined to include live musical performances during the telecast, which sadly wasn’t the case last time around.
These are the five tracks nominated for Best Original Song at the 2022 Academy Awards.
“Be Alive”
Songwriters/Producers: Beyoncé Knowles-Carter and Dixson
Film: King Richard
After many attempts over a period of decades, Beyoncé is finally an Academy Award nominee. The superstar earns her first chance to win a golden statue with her track “Be Alive,” which was written specifically for the film King Richard. The bio pic, which focuses on the father of tennis champions Venus and Serena Williams, also credits relatively unknown songwriter and producer Dixson, who shares this moment in the spotlight with Queen Bey.
Interestingly, Beyoncé lands her first Oscar nomination after being up for five Golden Globes, including four in the Best Original Song vertical.
“Dos Orugitas”
Songwriters/Producers: Lin-Manuel Miranda
Film: Encanto
Submissions for the Academy Awards were due some time ago, and the team behind Encanto chose to submit the Spanish-language tune “Dos Orugitas” as the one cut from the Disney animated film that would compete. That may have seemed like a great idea at the time, but since then, several other tracks from the successful movie have become major hits all around the world, with “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” leading the charge. In fact, that tune recently conquered the Hot 100, becoming just the second single from a Disney animated picture to do so.
Composer and songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda is beloved by Hollywood, so while his nomination isn’t shocking, he would have had an even greater shot at winning had he opted to go with one of the more popular cuts. “Dos Orugitas” marks Miranda’s second Academy Award nomination, as he was previously up for Best Original Song for “How Far I’ll Go” from Moana.
“Down to Joy”
Songwriters/Producers: Van Morrison
Film: Belfast
Belfast has a good shot at winning some gold on Oscar night, and there are plenty in the industry who believe it may take home the highly-coveted Best Picture honor. The indie flick isn’t the biggest or highest-grossing of the bunch, but it’s been beloved by critics, and the same can be said for its Best Original Song nominee “Down to Joy.” Written and produced by legendary musician Van Morrison, who is a first-time nominee, there’s a lot of love for anything connected to Belfast, and the man behind the track is a treasure.
“No Time to Die”
Songwriters/Producers: Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell
Film: No Time to Die
Released way back in February of 2020, it’s difficult to believe “No Time to Die” is even still eligible for this year’s Oscars, but that’s one of the stranger consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic shifting everything in the entertainment industry. The theme song and title track from the latest James Bond film brings sibling duo Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell to the Academy Awards for the first time, at least as nominees. The track is already a frontrunner, as it won both the Grammy for Best Song Written for Visual Media (almost a year ago) and recently the Golden Globe for Best Original Song. At just 20 years old, Eilish is one of the youngest nominees in Oscar history, to say nothing of the competitive musical field.
“Somehow You Do”
Songwriters/Producers: Diane Warren
Film: Four Good Days
Will 2022 be the year Diane Warren finally wins her long-overdue Academy Award? The prolific and beloved songwriter and producer scores her thirteenth Oscar nomination with “Somehow You Do” from Four Good Days, and this could turn out to be the lucky tune. Amazingly, this year marks the fifth in a row she’s competed for the honor, but she faces an uphill battle against bigger stars like Billie Eilish and Beyoncé for the trophy. While she hasn’t won an Oscar yet, Warren is already a Grammy and Emmy champion.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2022/02/08/beyonc-billie-eilish-and-lin-manuel-miranda-meet-the-best-original-song-oscar-nominees/