Each year the list of eligible ORIGINAL SONGS that will vy for Oscar nominations holds numerous surprises. These surprises almost invariably fall under the question heading:
That movie had a song in it?"
Apart from song showcases that are an important part of the narrative - remember that sweet tense reunion between Hiccup's father and mother in How To Train your Dragon 2? - many songs are buried in their movies by way of incomplete airings or end credit positioning when people are exiting the theater -- you have to be the first music in the end credits to be eligible at all. Come second and you're outta there as Madonna learned the hard way for her end credits "Masterpiece" in W.E. (that's the name of the song, not a qualitative judgement). The other annual head-scratcher question about this category is not the mean-spirited "Why does it exist?" but the far less frequently asked "Why is it afforded more nominees than the Makeup & Hairstyling category since literally all live action films require makeup & hairstyling and only a teeny-tiny portion of films have a composer on their payroll writing original songs. Indeed that question is only ever asked by The Film Experience though we think it a good one.
Makeup & Hairstyling is now the only Oscar category still considered unworthy of 5 nominations annually despite being a craft that's used in 100% of live-action movies which a few other categories cannot claim. But that's a topic for when the Makeup Branch finalist list is announced. Why am I talking about it now? My brain, inside a head that requires no hairstyling, hops track is all. Sorry bout it.
ORIGINAL SCORE
The annual list of eligible Original Scores for Oscar's music branch to consider holds a different kind of surprise altogether. Those surprises are about what's not listed. They fall under the question heading:
They disqualified that one? Why???"
This year apparently the music for Foxcatcher and The Two Faces of January -- to name two examples from famous composers (Danna & Iglesias respectively) -- wasn't "original" enough or something for Oscar. But the headline snub is Antonio Sanchez's work on Birdman. It's won much (rightful) attention for its unique percussive approach.
With Birdman out of the way, expect the five nominees to be: Alexandre Desplat (Unbroken), Alexandre Desplat (The Imitation Game) Alexandre Desplat (Godzilla) Alexandre Desplat (Grand Budapest Hotel) and Alexandre Desplat (The Monuments Men). I'm joking but there is no rule against it in the craft categories! You know if John Williams wrote five new scores in a year he'd win all five nominations. Somebody give Desplat a sedative before he burns himself out. He's so brilliant but do you think he'll stop working himself into an early grave once they give him the statue? He's won six nominations in the past decade, most of them from Best Pictures nominees or winners no less, but he has still yet to win the gold.
ELIGIBILITY LISTS AND A FEW MORE NOTES AFTER DESPLAT...
Desplat with his BAFTA for The King's Speech. He's still waiting on the Oscar.
Of the composers with multiple films in the running, I'm also rooting for Marco Beltrami because both The Homesman and Snowpiercer had strong scores. Don't you think?
ORIGINAL SONG ELIGIBILITY
If LOST STARS isn't nominated. Yours truly is going to F-R-E-A-K O-U-T and not in the good way
- “It’s On Again” from The Amazing Spider-Man 2
- “Opportunity” from Annie
- “Lost Stars” from Begin Again
Curiously Begin Again submitted no other songs. Only two may be nominated for any given film (since the rule changes post- Dreamgirls) but they aren't even trying to get a second nomination despite a plethora of originals and statistical proof that double nominations in the category do not impede a win.
- “Grateful” from Beyond the Lights
- “Big Eyes” from Big Eyes
- “Immortals” from Big Hero 6
- “The Apology Song” from The Book of Life
- “I Love You Too Much” from The Book of Life
- “The Boxtrolls Song” from The Boxtrolls
For a fresh angle you won't find at any other site, our interview with the man who sings it while voice-matching another man playing the role pretending to be the woman!
- “Quattro Sabatino” from The Boxtrolls
- “Ryan’s Song” from Boyhood
- “Split the Difference” from Boyhood
- “No Fate Awaits Me” from The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Them
- “Brave Souls” from Dolphin Tale 2
- “You Got Me” from Dolphin Tale 2
- “All Our Endless Love” from Endless Love
- “Let Me In” from The Fault in Our Stars
- “Not About Angels” from The Fault in Our Stars
- “Until the End” from Garnet’s Gold
- “It Just Takes a Moment” from Girl on a Bicycle
- “Last Stop Paris” from Girl on a Bicycle
- “Ordinary Human” from The Giver
- “I’m Not Gonna Miss You” from Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me
This is quite a beautiful song and given the backstory - Glenn Campbell is suffering from Alzheimers and this is his last song -- you shouldn't be surprised if it's nominated.
- “Find a Way” from The Good Lie
- “Color the World” from The Hero of Color City
- “The Last Goodbye” from The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
- “For the Dancing and the Dreaming” from How to Train Your Dragon 2
Supposedly it helps to have your song amply showcased as this one is with a crucial lovely scene all to itself between Hiccup's parents. But the nominations don't always bear this out. - “Chariots” from The Hornet’s Nest
- “Follow Me” from The Hornet’s Nest
- “Afreen” from The Hundred-Foot Journey
- “Yellow Flicker Beat” from The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1
- “Heart Like Yours” from If I Stay
- “I Never Wanted to Go” from If I Stay
- “Mind” from If I Stay
- “Everything is AWESOME!!!” from The LEGO Movie
- “Call Me When You Find Yourself” from Life Inside Out
- “Coming Back to You” from Life of an Actress The Musical
- “The Life of an Actress from Life of an Actress The Musical
- “Sister Rust” from Lucy
- “You Fooled Me” from Merchants of Doubt
- “Million Dollar Dream” from Million Dollar Arm
- “Spreading the Word/Makhna” from Million Dollar Arm
- “A Million Ways to Die” from A Million Ways to Die in the West
- “Way Back When” from Mr. Peabody and Sherman
- “America for Me” from A Most Violent Year
- “I’ll Get You What You Want (Cockatoo in Malibu)” from Muppets Most Wanted
- “Something So Right” from Muppets Most Wanted
- “We’re Doing a Sequel” from Muppets Most Wanted
All three of these Muppet songs are super fun but people seem to have forgotten there was an Muppet movie at all this year. My favorite of these three is "Cockatoo" but any of them would do as nominees. - “Mercy Is” from Noah
Our interview with the singer/songwriter Patti Smith is here. We talked to her about Noah but also her amazing life, her love of Biblical movies, and her friendship with Robert Mapplethorpe
- “Seeds” from Occupy the Farm
- “Grant My Freedom” from The One I Wrote for You
- “The One I Wrote for You” from The One I Wrote for You
- “Hal” from Only Lovers Left Alive
- “Shine” from Paddington
- “Still I Fly” from Planes: Fire & Rescue
- “Hush” from The Raid 2
- “Batucada Familia” from Rio 2
- “Beautiful Creatures” from Rio 2
- “Poisonous Love” from Rio 2
- “What is Love” from Rio 2
- “Over Your Shoulder” from Rudderless
- “Sing Along” from Rudderless
- “Stay with You” from Rudderless
- “Everyone Hides” from St. Vincent
- “Why Why Why” from St. Vincent
- “Glory” from Selma
I expect this one to be nominated. It's end credits but the end credits are moving - “The Morning” from A Small Section of the World
- “Special” from Special
- “Gimme Some” from #Stuck
- “The Only Thing” from Third Person
- “Battle Cry” from Transformers: Age of Extinction
- “Miracles” from Unbroken
- “Summer Nights” from Under the Electric Sky
- “We Will Not Go” from Virunga
- “Heavenly Father” from Wish I Was Here
- “So Now What” from Wish I Was Here
- “Wish I Was Here” from Wish I Was Here
- “Long Braid” from Work Weather Wife
- “Moon” from Work Weather Wife
ORIGINAL SCORE ELIGIBILITY
Academy voters have 114 scores to choose from. I've helpfully highlighted the ones from previous Oscar nominees on account of the music branch's distrust of anyone outside of their club. They're notoriously hesistant to hand out that first nomination though I suspect Jóhann Jóhannsson has the best chance among the category virgins for his well liked and showy (soundy?) work on The Theory of Everything.
- “American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs,” Vivek Maddala, composer
- “Anita,” Lili Haydn, composer
- “Annabelle,” Joseph Bishara, composer
- “At Middleton,” Arturo Sandoval, composer
- “Atlas Shrugged: Who Is John Galt?,” Elia Cmiral, composer
- “Bears,” George Fenton, composer
- “Belle,” Rachel Portman, composer
- “Big Eyes,” Danny Elfman, composer
- “Big Hero 6,” Henry Jackman, composer
- “The Book of Life,” Gustavo Santaolalla and Tim Davies, composers
- “The Boxtrolls,” Dario Marianelli, composer
- “Brick Mansions,” Trevor Morris, composer
- “Cake,” Christophe Beck, composer
- “Calvary,” Patrick Cassidy, composer
- “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” Henry Jackman, composer
- “The Case against 8,” Blake Neely, composer
- “Cheatin’,” Nicole Renaud, composer
- “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” Michael Giacchino, composer
- “The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Them,” Son Lux, composer
- “Divergent,” Tom Holkenborg, composer
- “Dolphin Tale 2,” Rachel Portman, composer
- “Dracula Untold,” Ramin Djawadi, composer
- “Draft Day,” John Debney, composer
- “The Drop,” Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders, composers
- “Earth to Echo,” Joseph Trapanese, composer
- “Edge of Tomorrow,” Christophe Beck, composer
- “Endless Love,” Christophe Beck and Jake Monaco, composers
- “The Equalizer,” Harry Gregson-Williams, composer
- “Exodus: Gods and Kings,” Alberto Iglesias, composer
- “The Fault in Our Stars,” Mike Mogis, composer
- “Finding Vivian Maier,” J. Ralph, composer
- “Fury,” Steven Price, composer
- “Garnet’s Gold,” J. Ralph, composer
- “Girl on a Bicycle,” Craig Richey, composer
- “The Giver,” Marco Beltrami, composer
- “Godzilla,” Alexandre Desplat, composer
- “Gone Girl,” Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, composers
- “The Good Lie,” Martin Léon, composer
- “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” Alexandre Desplat, composer
- “The Great Flood,” Bill Frisell, composer
- “Hercules,” Fernando Velázquez, composer
- “The Hero of Color City,” Zoë Poledouris-Roché and Angel Roché, Jr., composers
- “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies,” Howard Shore, composer
- “The Homesman,” Marco Beltrami, composer
- “Horrible Bosses 2,” Christopher Lennertz, composer
- “How to Train Your Dragon 2,” John Powell, composer
- “The Hundred-Foot Journey,” A.R. Rahman, composer
- “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1,” James Newton Howard, composer
- “I Origins,” Will Bates and Phil Mossman, composers
- “The Imitation Game,” Alexandre Desplat, composer
- “Inherent Vice,” Jonny Greenwood, composer
- “Interstellar,” Hans Zimmer, composer
- “The Interview,” Henry Jackman, composer
- “Into the Storm,” Brian Tyler, composer
- “Jal,” Sonu Nigam and Bickram Ghosh, composers
- “The Judge,” Thomas Newman, composer
- “Kill the Messenger,” Nathan Johnson, composer
- “Kochadaiiyaan,” A.R. Rahman, composer
- “Legends of Oz: Dorothy’s Return,” Toby Chu, composer
- “The Lego Movie,” Mark Mothersbaugh, composer
- “The Liberator,” Gustavo Dudamel, composer
- “Life Itself,” Joshua Abrams, composer
- “Living Is Easy with Eyes Closed,” Pat Metheny, composer
- “Lucy,” Eric Serra, composer
- “Maleficent,” James Newton Howard, composer
- “The Maze Runner,” John Paesano, composer
- “Merchants of Doubt,” Mark Adler, composer
- “Million Dollar Arm,” A.R. Rahman, composer
- “A Million Ways to Die in the West,” Joel McNeely, composer
- “Mr. Peabody & Sherman,” Danny Elfman, composer
- “Mr. Turner,” Gary Yershon, composer
- “The Monuments Men,” Alexandre Desplat, composer
- “A Most Violent Year,” Alex Ebert, composer
- “My Old Lady,” Mark Orton, composer
- “Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb,” Alan Silvestri, composer
- “Nightcrawler,” James Newton Howard, composer
- “No God, No Master,” Nuno Malo, composer
- “Noah,” Clint Mansell, composer
- “Non-Stop,” John Ottman, composer
- “The One I Love,” Danny Bensi and Saunder Jurriaans, composers
- “Ouija,” Anton Sanko, composer
- “Paddington,” Nick Urata, composer
- “Penguins of Madagascar,” Lorne Balfe, composer
- “Pompeii,” Clinton Shorter, composer
- “The Purge: Anarchy,” Nathan Whitehead, composer
- “The Railway Man,” David Hirschfelder, composer
- “Red Army,” Christophe Beck and Leo Birenberg, composers
- “Ride Along,” Christopher Lennertz, composer
- “Rocks in My Pockets,” Kristian Sensini, composer
- “Rosewater,” Howard Shore, composer
- “St. Vincent,” Theodore Shapiro, composer
- “The Salt of the Earth,” Laurent Petitgand, composer
- “Selma,” Jason Moran, composer
- “The Signal,” Nima Fakhrara, composer
- “Snowpiercer,” Marco Beltrami, composer
- “Song of the Sea,” Bruno Coulais, composer
- “Still Alice,” Ilan Eshkeri, composer
- “The Tale of the Princess Kaguya,” Joe Hisaishi, composer
- “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” Brian Tyler, composer
- “That Awkward Moment,” David Torn, composer
- “The Theory of Everything,” Jóhann Jóhannsson, composer
- “This Is Where I Leave You,” Michael Giacchino, composer
- “300: Rise of an Empire,” Tom Holkenborg, composer
- “Tracks,” Garth Stevenson, composer
- “Transformers: Age of Extinction,” Steve Jablonsky, composer
- “22 Jump Street,” Mark Mothersbaugh, composer
- “Unbroken,” Alexandre Desplat, composer
- “Under the Skin,” Mica Levi, composer
- “Virunga,” Patrick Jonsson, composer
- “Visitors,” Philip Glass, composer
- “A Walk among the Tombstones,” Carlos Rafael Rivera, composer
- “Walking with the Enemy,” Timothy Williams, composer
- “Wild Tales,” Gustavo Santaolalla, composer
- “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” John Ottman, composer
WHICH SCORES AND SONGS ARE YOU ROOTING FOR?