2021 Oscar Predictions: ORIGINAL SONG (October)

Always one of the weirdest categories, as the music branch often reaches into the abyss to find an obscure nominee (Alone Yet Not Alone, anyone?), play hardball with eligibility requirements and perennially find a spot for 11-time nominee Diane Warren.

In fact, Warren has not one…not two…but three chances finally secure her elusive Oscar with The One and Only Ivan, The Life Ahead and Stuntwomen: The Untold Hollywood Story. The music branch adores her and nominates her for her hits, her flops; in films big and small. She’s often a film’s sole nomination and when making predictions in this category you can count on a ‘Diane Warren spot’ if she has a song that year. But which of her three is the most likely to make it? Can she land two nominations in the same year? She hasn’t so far but I’d never count it out.

We also have an abundance of films with potential original songs that we don’t even know about yet. Music biopics like The United States vs Billie Holiday, Respect or Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom might squeeze in an new song (a la Les Mis) to add to its overall nomination total. There’s also previous nominees and winners to consider like Justin Timberlake, Ludwig Göransson and John Legend.

Here are my ranked 2021 Oscar predictions in Original Song for October.

1. “Rocket to the Moon” from Over the Moon (Netflix)
Written by Christopher Curtis, Marjorie Duffield & Helen Park

2. “Free” from The One and Only Ivan (Disney+)
Written by Diane Warren

3. “Hear My Voice” from The Trial of the Chicago 7 (Netflix)
Music by Daniel Pemberton; Lyrics by Daniel Pemberton and Celeste Waite

4. “Lo Si” (Seen)” from The Life Ahead (Netflix)
Written by Diane Warren

5. “Speak Now” from One Night in Miami… (Amazon Studios)
Written by Leslie Odom, Jr. and Sam Ashworth

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Other Contenders

“Carried Me With You” from Onward (Pixar)
Written by Brandi Carlile, Phil Hanseroth and Tim Hanseroth

“Come and Play with Me” from Promising Young Woman (Focus Features)
Written by Romy Flores and Andy Rosen

“Drinks” from Promising Young Woman (Focus Features)
Written by JP Clark, Ryan Daly and Cynthia Nabozny

“Everybody Cries” from The Outpost (Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment)
Written by Rod Lurie, Larry Groupé and Rita Wilson

“Husavik (My Hometown)” from Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (Netflix)
Written by Atli Örvarsson

“Identical” from On the Rocks (A24/Apple TV+)
Written by Phoenix

“Just Sing” from Trolls: World Tour (DreamWorks Animation)
Written by Justin Timberlake, Ludwig Göransson, Max Martin and Sarah Aarons

“Last Laugh” from Promising Young Woman (Focus Features)
Written by Cari Fletcher, Tim Sommers and Jeremy Dussolliet

“Love Myself” from The High Note (Focus Features)
Written by Sarah Aarons and Greg Kurstin

“Loyal Brave True” from Mulan (Disney+)
Written by Jamie Hartman, Harry Gregson-Williams, Rosi Golan and Billy Crabtree, and produced by Jamie Hartman

“Make You Mine This Season” from Happiest Season (Hulu)
Written by Tegan Rain Quin and Sara Keirsten Quin

“Never Break” from Giving Voice (Netflix)
Written by John Legend, Nasri Atweh, Benjamin Hudson McIldowie, Greg Wells

“Only the Young” from Miss Americana (Netflix)
Written by Taylor Swift and Joel Little

“Purify” from Sound of Metal (Amazon Studios)
Written by Olivia Cooke & Margaret Chardiet

“Queen Bee” from Emma. (Focus Features)
Written by Johnny Flynn

“See What You’ve Done” from Belly of the Beast (PBS Independent Lens)
Written by Mary J. Blige, Darhyl Camper, Jr., Denisia Andrews and Brittany Coney

“Staring at the Mountain” from Never Rarely Sometimes Always (Focus Features)
Written by Sharon Van Etten

“Turntables” from All In: The Fight for Democracy (Amazon Studios)
Written by Janelle Monáe, Nathaniel Irvin III and George “George 2.0.” A. Peters II

“Without a Net” from Stuntwomen: The Untold Hollywood Story (Shout! Factory)
Written by Diane Warren