Oscar Song Competition Sees 20% Decrease in Entries to 68, Ensuring Inclusion of Artists like Nick Cave and 'KPop Demon Hunters'

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Music Branch has released the official checklists for the Best Original Song and Best Original Score categories, featuring 68 songs and 135 scores. These numbers mark the lowest totals in over a decade14 years for songs and 10 years for scores.

Branch members can select up to 15 songs and 20 scores in the upcoming shortlist voting, which starts Monday and lasts five days. The final shortlists will be announced on December 16.

Best Original Song

The list of qualifying songs has dropped 20% compared to last year, when 86 songs were eligible. Over the past decade, entries have averaged around 85, peaking at 105 in 2020. This year, all major expected contenders are present, including:

• Golden from KPop Demon Hunters, a Song of the Year Grammy nominee
• Two songs from Sinners, including the standout I Lied to You
• Two new tracks from Wicked: For Good, performed by Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande
• Clothed by the Sun from The Testament of Ann Lee
• Diane Warrens 16th Oscar-eligible song, Dear Me, from the documentary Diane Warren: Relentless

The roster spans diverse contributors such as Nick Cave with the title track for Train Dreams, Sara Bareilles and Brandi Carlile collaborating with poet Andrea Gibson on Come See Me in the Good Light, hip-hop entries like Highest 2 Lowest, and operatic compositions such as Sweet Dreams of Joy from Viva Verdi!

Several anticipated songs did not appear on the list, either due to disqualification or non-submission, including tracks from The Long Walk, Lilo & Stitch, Hedda, Spinal Tap II, and F1. However, F1 still has two qualifying entries, including Ed Sheerans Drive.

Multiple films have more than one qualifying song. Two have three: the Japanese animated film Scarlet and Chinese comedy-drama Yolo.

Best Original Score

The 135 eligible scores show a smaller decline than the song category. Scores have ranged between 136 and 148 since 2019, when they peaked at 170. Expected contenders include:

• Volker Bertelmann for A House of Dynamite and Ballad of a Small Player
• Hildur Gunadttir for Hedda
• Nicholas Britell for Jay Kelly
• Bryce Dessner for Train Dreams
• Ludwig Gransson for Sinners
• Hans Zimmer for F1
• John Powell and Stephen Schwartz for Wicked: For Good
• Other recognized composers like Alexandre Desplat, Max Richter, Daniel Blumberg, and Jerskin Fendrix

Some previously mentioned contenders are absent, including Marcelo Zarvos for KPop Demon Hunters, Graham Reynolds for Blue Moon, and Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross for After the Hunt.

Complete Lists of Eligible Works

Songs

• Arco: Clouds Away (November Ultra & Arnaud Toulon)
• Avatar: Fire and Ash: Dream as One (Miley Cyrus)
• The Bad Guys 2: Goodlife (RagnBone Man), Taking Everything (Busta Rhymes)
• The Ballad of Wallis Island: Our Love (Tom Basden and Carey Mulligan)
• Ballerina: Fight Like a Girl (Evanescence)
• KPop Demon Hunters: Golden (HUNTR/X, Ejae, Audrey Nuna, Rei Ami)
• Train Dreams: Train Dreams (Nick Cave)
• Wicked: For Good: The Girl in the Bubble (Ariana Grande), No Place Like Home (Cynthia Erivo)
• Viva Verdi!: Sweet Dreams of Joy (Nicholas Pike)
• Other eligible songs include works from Sinners, The Testament of Ann Lee, Yolo, Zootopia 2, and dozens more.

Scores

• The Actor (Richard Reed Perry)
• All of You (Ian Hultquist and Sofia degli Alessandri)
• The Bad Guys 2 (Daniel Pemberton)
• Ballad of a Small Player (Volker Bertelmann)
• Hedda (Hildur Gunadttir)
• Train Dreams (Bryce Dessner)
• Sinners (Ludwig Gransson)
• F1 (Hans Zimmer)
• Wicked: For Good (John Powell and Stephen Schwartz)
• Additional scores include works by Alexandre Desplat, Max Richter, Daniel Blumberg, and numerous others.

Author: Grace Ellison