Awards Watch: The Music

Often dismissed, maligned and/or outright reviled, the Best Original Song category has nevertheless always been a guilty pleasure of mine. The music branch's picks can be puzzling at times, and the live performances laughable, but I will always have an invested interest in Oscar's "red-headed step-child" for some unknown reason. Maybe it is because they are bite-sized portions of the movies they are in (aside from some short subjects, they are often the shortest artistic achievement to be honored by the Academy); you can always relive the feelings of watching the movie by just popping in a CD or firing up your iPod.

This year's crop of contenders hail from all genres, but it is likely that the revitalized movie musical will nab a few slots. Hairspray leads the pack, with two new songs ("Ladies' Choice" and "Come So Far (Got So Far To Go)") from Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, who won their Tony for the original Broadway score (although not eligible for an Oscar, their "You Can't Stop the Beat" is up for a People's Choice Award). Disney is ever-present in this category, and this year's Enchanted has five Alan Menken/Stephen Schwartz songs to pick from, with "That's How You Know" being the best bet. However, don't count out the least flashy of the new wave of musicals, Once. "Falling Slowly" is just the kind of soft ballad Academy members love. And if they go the A Mighty Wind route again, the parody songs of Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story ("Walk Hard", "Let's Duet") may slip in as well. (By the by, all the other songwriters can rest easy: Stephen Sondheim did not write anything new for Sweeney Todd.)

Popular recording artists can crossover from the Grammys to the Oscars with Original Song too, such as past winners Elton John, Annie Lennox and Melissa Etheridge. Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder has tried unsuccessfully to break through with Dead Man Walking and Big Fish in the past, but buzz is high for his Into the Wild songs, with "Guaranteed" and "Society" getting the most notice. Foreign language songs have had a presence lately, which may benefit Shakira's "La Despedida" from Love in the Time of Cholera or Camille's "Le Festin" from Ratatouille. Prolific pop songwriter Diane Warren has been nominated several times in the past, so her "Do You Feel Me" from American Gangster (performed by Anthony Hamilton) could make the cut, as could John Mayer's "Say" from The Bucket List. Two fantasy ballads performed by gay faves Idina Menzel ("A Hero Comes Home" from Beowulf) and Kate Bush ("Lyra" from The Golden Compass) are long shots at this point (fantasy ballads are so 2003).

As for the Original Score category, lush romantic epics like Atonement and Lust, Caution are being mentioned, but it is the Bernard Hermann-esque debut score by Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood for There Will Be Blood that is attracting the most attention (you can hear a portion of it in the film's trailer). Startlingly original, yes, but the stodgy music branch isn't known for recognizing such things, especially in a newcomer. Increasingly insular, they have been known to nominate the same composers year after year. At least John Williams doesn't have a film this year.

UPDATE: According to their online "For Your Consideration" site, New Line is pushing for "Come So Far" as the sole Hairspray nominee. "Ladies' Choice" isn't even mentioned.

All the song titles above link to a YouTube video for the song (some "homemade"), when available.

Links via Variety.com, YouTube.com, PCAVote.com, LATimes.com, AwardsDaily.com, Apple.com and NewLineAwards.com.