Here’s Why ‘We Don’t Talk About Bruno’ Wasn’t Nominated for an Oscar

thewrap.com:

the Billboard Hot 100). But when the Oscar nominations were announced Tuesday morning, “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” was conspicuously absent.

Instead, the stirring “Dos Oruguitas” from “Encanto” scored the nomination.But why?The short answer is: because Disney didn’t submit “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” for contention.

Each studio has to put forth the songs that they think will make the most impact. In the past, Disney submitted multiple songs for the category, particularly during the lucrative Disney Renaissance period (for example “Hakuna Matata” and “Circle of Life” were submitted from “The Lion King” and both secured nominations); these days Disney usually only submits one per film, probably for fear of one song canceling the other out.But why didn’t they submit “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” for the category?Well, nobody knew that “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” would explode the way it did.

It’s a relatively deep cut, one that moves the plot forward while revealing specific character details. (The staging of the song, which you can now watch in “Encanto” on Disney+, is dexterous and wonderful – look in the background of certain shots for a hidden Bruno.) “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” isn’t an “I want” song (like “Part of Your World” from “The Little Mermaid” or “How Far I’ll Go” from “Moana,” also written by Miranda and also Oscar-nominated) or a “thesis song” like “Beauty and the Beast” from “Beauty and the Beast” (which won Best Original Song) or, indeed, “Dos Oruguitas,” which serves as the emotional center for “Encanto” and a profound moment of reconciliation and understanding. “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” is, objectively, a bop, one that is fun to dance around your apartment to.