The Grammys better watch out because the Oscars are stealing their pop superstar thunder.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced its shortlists of nominees in 10 categories today, including Best Original Song, among which are some of the biggest names in music: Taylor Swift, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, the Weeknd, Selena Gomez, Jazmine Sullivan, and LCD Soundsystem.
Swift, whose video for “All Too Well” was denied a place among Best Live Action Short Film, could still get nominated for her song from Where the Crawdads Sing, “Carolina.”
“Where The Crawdads Sing is a book I got absolutely lost in when I read it years ago,” Swift wrote on Instagram of her contribution over the summer. “As soon as I heard there was a film in the works starring the incredible @daisyedgarjones and produced by the brilliant @reesewitherspoon, I knew I wanted to be a part of it from the musical side.”
Rihanna could also score her first nomination with “Lift Me Up” from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which was also shortlisted for a number of technical awards including visual effects, sound, and original score. “Lift Me Up” was the singer’s first release as a lead artist in six years, further stoking anticipation and deep sighs for #R9.
The two other biggest films of the year, Top Gun: Maverick and Avatar: The Way of Water, also landed on the shortlist for original song (among other technical awards). Past winner Lady Gaga (“Shallow” from A Star Is Born) could repeat with “Hold My Hand” from the Tom Cruise blockbuster, while the Weeknd could score his second nomination in this category for Avatar‘s “Nothing Is Lost (You Give Me Strength).” That Canadian falsetto was previously nominated for “Earned It” from Fifty Shades of Grey.
Selena Gomez’s song from her documentary Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me, also titled “My Mind & Me,” Jazmine Sullivan’s contribution to the movie Till, “Stand Up,” and LCD Soundsystem’s “New Body Rhumba” from White Noise are also among the shortlist for Best Original Song.
But pop stars aren’t the only ones with their shot at Oscar songwriting gold. Veteran actress Rita Wilson’s “Til You’re Home” from A Man Called Otto, starring husband and two-time Oscar winner Tom Hanks, was also shortlisted for the prize.
The 95th Academy Awards will air Mar. 12, 2023 on ABC.
