Is it just me, or is the awards process a little more transparent this year? I’m used to seeing Oscar nominations and “for your consideration” advertisements, but rarely seeing the lengthy lists of movies being submitted as considerations in each category. This year even the initial lists have become newsworthy, as we’ve seen with the movies being submitted for animated picture previously.
The latest list to arrive via press release is that for Best Song, which includes 49 songs that are eligible for Oscar consideration. Those songs will be whittled down to anywhere from three to five final nominees before reaching the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ ballot, which will be announced on Thursday, January 22nd.
As a reminder, songs have to be original in content (both lyrics and music) in order to be eligible for consideration. They also have to appear clearly within the body of the film, or as the first cue in the end credits to be eligible. Only two songs may be nominated from any given movie, which means it doesn’t matter how many songs from High School Musical 3 are on the list below - only two can make the final list.
About High School Musical 3, it definitely leads the pack, with eleven songs up for consideration (Repo! The Genetic Opera is the second place multiple offerer, with only three songs since so much of the production had appeared previously on stage, and Bolt having two songs listed). Although most people are probably happy to write HSM3 off as fluff, Disney traditionally has a stronghold on this category, so expect those Wildcats to put up a decent fight for the award. Still, I’d love to see something like “Dracula’s Lament” get a nod (from Forgetting Sarah Marshall), just because I’d love to see what the Academy would do for the performance of the song.
Here’s an alphabetical list (by song title) of the songs submitted for consideration. Catch the official nominees on January 22nd to see which ones made the final cut.
- “Another Way to Die” from Quantum of Solace
- “Barking at the Moon” from Bolt
- “The Boys Are Back” from High School Musical 3: Senior Year
- “Broken and Bent” from Role Models
- “By the Boab Tree” from Australia
- “The Call” from The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
- “Can I Have This Dance” from High School Musical 3: Senior Year
- “Chase the Morning” from Repo! The Genetic Opera
- “Chromaggia” from Repo! The Genetic Opera
- “The Code of Life” from My Dream
- “Code of Silence” from Save Me
- “Count on Me” from The Women
- “Di Notte” from The Lodger
- “Djoyigbe” from Pray the Devil Back to Hell
- “Down to Earth” from WALL-E
- “Dracula’s Lament” from Forgetting Sarah Marshall
- “Drive” from Fuel
- “Forever” from They Killed Sister Dorothy”
- “High School Musical” from High School Musical 3: Senior Year
- “Gran Torino” from Gran Torino
- “I Thought I Lost You” from Bolt
- “I Want It All” from High School Musical 3: Senior Year
- “In Rodanthe” from Nights in Rodanthe
- “It Ain’t Right” from Dark Streets
- “Jai Ho” from Slumdog Millionaire
- “Just Getting Started” from High School Musical 3: Senior Year
- “Just Wanna Be with You” from High School Musical 3: Senior Year
- “Little Person” from Synecdoche, New York
- “The Little Things” from Wanted
- “A Night to Remember” from High School Musical 3: Senior Year
- “Nothing but the Truth” from Nothing but the Truth
- “Now or Never” from High School Musical 3: Senior Year
- “O Saya” from Slumdog Millionaire
- “Once in a Lifetime” from Cadillac Records
- “Right Here Right Now” from High School Musical 3: Senior Year
- “Right to Dream” from Tennesee
- “Rock Me Sexy Jesus” from Hamlet 2
- “Scream” from High School Musical 3: Senior Year
- “The Story” from My Blueberry Nights
- “Sweet Ballad” from Yes Man
- “Too Much Juice” from Dark Streets
- “The Traveling Song” from Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
- “Trouble the Water” from Trouble the Water
- “Up to Our Nex” from Rachel Getting Married
- “Walk Away” from High School Musical 3: Senior Year
- “Waterline” from Pride and Glory
- “The Wrestler” from The Wrestler
- “Yes Man” from Yes Man
- “Zydrate Anatomy” from Repo! The Genetic Opera
