OSCARS MAKE A SHORTLIST OF SONGS
John Legend and Diane Warren have two songs each on the shortlist of 15 songs vying for an Academy Award nomination.
Warren, who has been nominated 11 times but never won, has “Io Sì (Seen)” from the Sophia Loren film The Life Ahead and “Free” from the Disney film The One and Only Ivan in contention.
Legend, an EGOT, is the writer behind “Make It Work,” sung by Anika Noni Rose and Forest Whitaker in Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey, and “Never Break” from the documentary Giving Voice.
Docs and true stories are well represented on the shortlist. Doc songs up for noms are Janelle Monae’s “Turntables” from All In: The Fight for Democracy, Lalah Hathaway’s “Show Me Your Soul” from the Mr. Soul!, and Mary J. Blige’s See What You’ve Done from Belly of the Beast. Songs from films based on real events are Leslie Odom Jr.’s “Speak Now” from One Night in Miami, H.E.R.’s “Fight for You” from Judas and the Black Messiah, and Celeste’s “Hear My Voice” from The Trial of the Chicago 7.
On the comical side are “Wuhan Flu” from Borat Subsequent Moviefilm and “Husavik” from Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga. Also on the list are Korean-language “Rain Song” from Minari, Christina Aguilera’s “Loyal Brave True” from Mulan, and “Green” from The Sound of Metal.
Four of the five songs nominated for Golden Globes made the cut; Andra Day’s “Tigress & Tweed” from The United States vs. Billie Holiday did not.
Oscar nominations will be announced 3/15.
