‘Barbie’ Dominates Original Song Category at Oscars; John Williams and the Late Robbie Robertson Among Score Contenders
variety.comJon Burlingame Two songs from “Barbie” have been nominated as best song, part of a diverse collection of songs and scores nominated for the 96th annual Academy Awards. “What Was I Made For?” by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell, and “I’m Just Ken,” by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, were chosen by the 390 voting members of the Academy music branch.
Three “Barbie” songs were shortlisted (Dua Lipa’s “Dance the Night” being the third) but only two can be nominated, per Academy rules.
The “Barbie” songs are already considered frontrunners, and if either number prevails on March 10, the Oscar will go to a pair of songwriters who already have one of those golden statues.
Siblings Eilish and O’Connell won for 2021’s James Bond film “No Time to Die,” while Ronson and Wyatt were two of four 2018 winners for Lady Gaga’s song “Shallow” from “A Star Is Born.” They will compete against Jon Batiste and Dan Wilson’s “It Never Went Away” from “American Symphony,” Diane Warren’s “The Fire Inside” from “Flamin’ Hot” and “Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People)” by Scott George, the Native American chant from “Killers of the Flower Moon.” Batiste is a previous winner as co-composer of the 2020 Pixar film “Soul.” For Warren, it’s her 15th nomination in 36 years of penning tunes for the screen, without a competitive win; she received an honorary Oscar in 2022 for her body of work.
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