The 93rd Academy Awards are around the corner—April 25
This year part of the event will be held at the historic Union Station in Los Angeles and the usual venue of the Dolby Theatre. An on-site COVID safety team will be on duty, with the ability to do PCR testing. All Covid protocols will be observed.
The ceremony will be televised live on ABC at 8.00 pm ET/5.00 pm PT but will also via the ABC app on Apple TV, Roku and Fire TV.
You can also tune in to a 90-minute pre-show special Oscars: Into the Spotlight starting at 6.30 pm ET/3.30 pm PT and a post-show special Oscars: After Dark airing right after the key event.
In addition, the 5 nominated Best Original Songs will be performed as part of the festivities.
Records broken (not vinyl!)
This year’s Oscars set a record for the largest number of entries ever in the Song category, with 105 qualifying from 82 films–the highest since 2016 with 91 songs.
Of the 5 Music (Original Song) nominees, 2 are from the 8 Best Picture nominees—Fight for You in Judas and the Black Messiah and Hear my Voice in The Trial of the Chicago 7.
Of the 5 Music (Original Score) nominees, another 2 are also from the Best Picture nominees—Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for Mank, and Emile Mosseri for Minari.
More on that later.
Original Song nominees
#1 Fight for You - Judas and the Black Messiah, performed by H.E.R. (D'Mile, H.E.R. and Tiara Thomas, songwriters)
#2 Hear My Voice - The Trial of the Chicago 7, performed by Celeste (Daniel Pemberton and Celeste, songwriters)
#3 Io sì (Seen) - The Life Ahead, performed by Laura Pausini (Diane Warren and Laura Pausini, songwriters)
#4 Husavik - Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, performed by Molly Sandén, Rachel McAdams and Will Ferrell (Rickard Göransson, Fat Max Gsus and Savan Kotecha, songwriters)
#5 Speak Now - One Night in Miami, performed by Leslie Odom Jr. (Sam Ashworth and Leslie Odom Jr., songwriters)
These songs qualified but didn’t survive the cut
They still deserve a listen.
#1 The Devil and I Got Up to Dance a Slow Dance - The United States vs. Billie Holiday, performed by Charlie Wilson. (A must-watch movie—Andra Day is brilliant as always!)
#2 Loyal Brave True – Mulan, performed by Christina Aguilera.
A sampling of Best Score nominees
As mentioned earlier, these 2 Original Score nominees are also from the Best Picture nominees.
#1 Once More Unto the Breach - Mank, composers Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.(Smooth Jazz!)
#2 Rain Song—Minari, performed by Yeri Han, composer Emile Mosseri
Oscar history in the making
Moving away from music, which this writer is always reluctant to do, we could witness some winners making history.
For instance, will Riz Ahmed become the first Muslim actor to win Best Actor for his role in Sound of Metal, or will Sir Anthony Hopkins be the oldest actor to receive the award for his stunning performance in The Father?
And for the first time Best Director nominations include 2 women directors in the same year: Chloé Zhao for Nomadland and Emerald Fennell for Promising Young Woman. Zhao is the first woman of color to receive a nomination for Best Director.
Since 1976, the Academy has only nominated five women in this category.
What is surprising is that Best Picture only has 8 nominees, yet there are 10 slots. Missing were Ma Rainey's Black Bottom and One Night in Miami.
No matter the outcome, we can look forward to an entertaining Sunday night viewing.
Well worth the wait!
Click here to view the nominees in all categories and details of this year's event.
Comments / 2