2021 Oscar Predictions: ORIGINAL SONG (January)
Tony and Grammy winner Leslie Odom, Jr. is all but assured to become a double Oscar nominee this year and this month he moves up to the top spot in original song with “Speak Now” from One Night in Miami.
An open category as it’s ever been, this month also sees the rise of “Husavik (My Hometown)” from Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, “Hear My Voice” from The Trial of the Chicago 7, “Wuhan Flu” from Borat Subsequent Moviefilm and the first appearance from H.E.R.’s “Fight For You” from Judas and the Black Messiah and Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross with an original tune from Mank, “(If Only You Could) Save Me.”
Perennial nominee Diane Warren still has three shots this year so count her out, either.
Here are my ranked 2021 Oscar predictions in Original Song for January.
Green – moves up; Red – moves down; Blue – new entry this month
1. “Speak Now” from One Night in Miami… (Amazon Studios)
Written by Leslie Odom, Jr. and Sam Ashworth
2. “Io Sì” (Seen)” from The Life Ahead (Netflix)
Written by Diane Warren
3. “Husavik (My Hometown)” from Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (Netflix)
Music and Lyrics by Savan Kotecha, Rickard Goransson & fat max Gsus
4. “Rocket to the Moon” from Over the Moon (Netflix)
Written by Christopher Curtis, Marjorie Duffield & Helen Park
5. “Just Sing” from Trolls: World Tour (DreamWorks Animation)
Written by Justin Timberlake, Ludwig Göransson, Max Martin and Sarah Aarons
6.“Hear My Voice” from The Trial of the Chicago 7 (Netflix)
Music by Daniel Pemberton; Lyrics by Daniel Pemberton and Celeste Waite
7. “Wear Your Crown” from The Prom (Netflix)
Written by Adam Anders, Peer Astrom, Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin
8. “Fight for You” from Judas and the Black Messiah (Warner Bros)
Written by H.E.R., Dernst Emile II, Tiara Thomas
9. “Wuhan Flu” from Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (Amazon Studios)
Written by Sacha Baron Cohen, Erran Baron Cohen, Anthony Hines, Peter Baynham, Erica Rivinoja, Dan Swimer, Jena Friedman, Jim Russell, Jerry Holleman
10. “Poverty Porn” from The Forty-Year Old Version (Netflix)
Written by Radha Blank, Music by Khrysis
Other Contenders (alphabetical by song title)
“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
“Everybody Cries” from The Outpost (Screen Media Films)
Written by Rod Lurie, Larry Groupé and Rita Wilson
“Free” from The One and Only Ivan (Disney+)
Written by Diane Warren
“Future” from The Way I See It (Focus Features)
Written by Aloe Blacc
“Identical” from On the Rocks (A24/Apple TV+)
Written by Phoenix
“(If Only You Could) Save Me” from Mank (Netflix)
Written by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
“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
“The Plan” from Tenet (Warner Bros)
Written by Travis Scott
“Purify” from Sound of Metal (Amazon Studios)
Written by Olivia Cooke & Margaret Chardiet
“Queen Bee” from Emma. (Focus Features)
Written by Johnny Flynn
“Rain Song” from Minari (A24)
Written by Emile Mosseri and Stefanie Y. Hong
“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
“Uh Oh” from Promising Young Woman (Focus Features)
Written by Cynthia Nabozny, Matias Mora and Mia Minichiello
“Without a Net” from Stuntwomen: The Untold Hollywood Story (Shout! Factory)
Written by Diane Warren
One Night in Miami image credit: Patti Perret/Amazon Studios
He is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, accredited by the Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and more, is a member of the International Cinephile Society (ICS), The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics (GALECA), Hollywood Critics Association (HCA) and the International Press Academy. Among his many achieved goals with AwardsWatch, he has given a platform to underrepresented writers and critics and supplied them with access to film festivals and the industry and calls the Bay Area his home where he lives with his husband and son.
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