The nominations for the 89th Academy Awards will be announced tomorrow morning, and anticipation is high. For months now, the media has been speculating on who may be nominated for what trophy, and while even those that know the Academy and Hollywood better than anybody else can typically predict the majority of nominees, anything can happen.
As always, the musical categories have a few standouts that are likely going to wind up being nominated, though there is still plenty of room for the typical surprises that find their way into the notoriously difficult to guess verticals. As always, the best one can do is listen, look at what people said about the music and the films and try to select a group of finalists that may (or may not) be selected as nominees.
Here are 10 songs that have a pretty good chance of being nominated for Best Original Song tomorrow, though only five will be named:
“Can’t Stop The Feeling!” from Trolls
From the moment it arrived, Justin Timberlake’s upbeat, incredibly catchy “Can’t Stop The Feeling!” was a smash hit. In fact, the track, which was written specifically for the animated film Trolls, debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100, becoming one of just 26 songs at the time to do so. The pop song ended 2016 as the bestselling single of the year, and it is likely still fresh in the minds of voters.
“How Far I’ll Go” from Moana
Lin-Manuel Miranda has been on fire for well over a year now when it comes to winning awards and hitting the mark with everything he puts into the world, and there’s a pretty good chance this one is his. He may have just recently lost the Golden Globe in this category (despite some predictions that he would be taking home the trophy), but it's one of the safest bets when it comes to predictions in this group. The song, which is working its way up the singles chart (in two forms) is too perfect to pass up.
“City Of Stars” from La La Land
Since the La La Land tune took home Best Original Song at the Golden Globes last month, it’s a surefire nominee for the Oscar in the same category. The only thing that might stop “City Of Stars” from being nominated would be another La La Land track ending up stealing the spotlight. At this point, there is little to no chance that at least one (if not more than one, which wouldn’t be out of the question) song from the movie musical will be up for the prize.
“Faith” from Sing
A nomination for “Faith” would reward Stevie Wonder and industry favorite Ryan Tedder...not to mention it’s a fun, lovable track. The music from Sing hasn’t performed quite as well as some guessed it would, but an Oscar nomination would help push the soundtrack, which just recently broke into the top 10 on the Billboard 200.
“Try Everything” from Zootopia
Of all the songs that she wrote that have been submitted to the Academy for consideration, “Try Everything” seems to be Sia's best shot at an Oscar nomination this year. Sia has quietly (or not so quietly) been writing big, emotional songs for films for years now, and it’s about time she scored a nod, and the Shakira-fronted “Try Everything” has a good shot of being recognized.
“Heathens” from Suicide Squad
Of all the songs that could be nominated for this Academy Award (there are almost 100, for the record), “Heathens” is by far one of the biggest hits. Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop The Feeling!” is the only No. 1 hit among the group, but “Heathens” came close to matching that, as the song peaked at No. 2 on the Hot 100. The track is already nominated for a Grammy for Best Rock Performance, so is an Oscar nod really that out of reach for the duo?
“Runnin’” from Hidden Figures
Pharrell is already looking at securing a second career Oscar nomination, though a first in the vertical of Best Original Score for his work on Hidden Figures, but there’s a chance he could wind up with a pair of chances to take home a trophy this time around. He and Lalah Hathaway worked on the song “Runnin’” from the same film, and it could give Williams a second Original Song nomination, following his recognition for the song “Happy.”
“I’m Still Here” from Miss Sharon Jones!
The Netflix-sponsored documentary Miss Sharon Jones! might not have been nearly as large or as popular as other films that submitted songs for consideration, but it will be difficult for some Academy voters to look past the fact that “I’m Still Here” was one of the last songs that the beloved Sharon Jones wrote and recorded in her life before succumbing to cancer late in 2016. A nomination would be a wonderful way to honor a legendary performer and talented artist, win or lose.
“Drive It Like You Stole It” from Sing Street
“Drive It Like You Stole It” might be too much fun for those working in the film industry to pass up when it comes to nominating songs for this award, and though it likely wouldn’t win, it would be incredible to see such a track wind up an Oscar nominee. The catchy tune, which was penned and produced by Gary Clark Jr., who himself is a respected Grammy-winning rocker, really showed that he can push himself, and rock, into unexpected territory, and the result is wonderful.
“Better Love” from The Legend Of Tarzan
While The Legend Of Tarzan wasn’t necessarily a critical favorite, one song from the film stands out as a must-hear. “Better Love,” which was written and composed by “Take Me To Church” singer-songwriter Hozier. This guess might be a stretch, but it would be wonderful to see Hozier’s songwriting recognized in this capacity, even if a win is all but impossible.
