The Academy music branch also tends to fall for global pop stars who might turn up to perform at the Oscar kudocast. Inevitably, music stars scored nominations. Vying for his first is Northern Ireland’s Van Morrison, who supplied an entire soundtrack of hits for Kenneth Branagh’s ’60s film memoir “Belfast” (Focus Features), but wrote the original “Down to Joy” to open the movie.
Also looking for her first nod, amazingly, is Academy member Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, who delivered “Be Alive” with DIXSON for “King Richard” (Warner Bros./HBO Max), even if it didn’t set the Billboard music charts on fire.
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Disney
The Oscar frontrunner continues to be rising pop star Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas O’Connell’s “No Time to Die” from the latest James Bond film (MGM/UA), which was a global hit ($767 million worldwide), if not a Best Picture contender, and collected the Critics Choice win.
Animated musicals always land a song or two, in this case, EGOT-seeker Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “Dos Oruguitas” from “Encanto,” which also landed in Best Score. Amazingly, Disney did not submit Miranda’s viral smash single “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” but will allow the film to be performed on the Oscarcast anyway.
Oscar nominees are listed in order of their likelihood to win.
Contenders:
“No Time To Die” from “No Time to Die” (Music and Lyric by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell) “Dos Oruguitas” from “Encanto” (Music and Lyric by Lin-Manuel Miranda) “Be Alive” from “King Richard” (Music and Lyric by DIXSON and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter) “Somehow You Do” from “Four Good Days” (Music and Lyric by Diane Warren) “Down To Joy” from “Belfast” (Music and Lyric by Van Morrison)
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