The nominations for the Oscar’s Best Original Song have been unveiled, featuring an impressive lineup that includes Billie Eilish‘s ‘What Was I Made For?’ and Ryan Gosling‘s ‘I’m Just Ken.’ These two songs, originating from the film Barbie, are among the five contenders announced on January 23.
Joining the prestigious list is ‘Wahzhazhe (A Song For My People)’ from Killers of the Flower Moon, performed by Scott George, ‘It Never Went Away’ by Jon Batiste and Dan Wilson from American Symphony, and ‘The Fire Inside’ by Diane Warren from Flamin’ Hot.
Billie Eilish, a two-time Oscar nominee, had previously clinched victory in this category in 2022 for her work on the title track of the James Bond film No Time to Die. Her latest nomination, ‘What Was I Made For?,’ co-written with her brother Finneas O’Connell, also earned recognition in the Record of the Year and Song of the Year categories at the Grammys.
If Eilish secures a win, she will join an exclusive group of accomplished composers who have multiple Academy Awards for Best Original Song, a league that includes luminaries like Elton John, Randy Newman, Burt Bacharach, Tim Rice, and Giorgio Moroder. On the other hand, ‘I’m Just Ken,’ penned by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, could mark Ronson’s second win in this category after his success with ‘Shallow’ from A Star is Born in 2018.
Diane Warren, a legendary songwriter with an illustrious career, receives her 15th Oscar nomination with ‘The Fire Inside,’ although an Academy Award has eluded her thus far. Her past nominations encompass iconic tracks like Aerosmith’s ‘I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing’ from Armageddon and LeAnn Rimes’ ‘How Do I Live’ from Con Air.
In terms of overall nominations, Oppenheimer leads the pack with an impressive 13 nods, including recognition in categories such as Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor for Cillian Murphy. Following closely is ‘Poor Things’ with 11 nominations, securing second place, while ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ trails with 10.
The highly anticipated ceremony is scheduled for March 10 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California, with talk show host Jimmy Kimmel making his return as the host for the fourth time.
