The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has unveiled the shortlist for Best Original Song at the 98th Academy Awards, spotlighting 15 tracks that advanced from a pool of 65 eligible submissions. Announced on December 16, the list underscores a year where blockbuster franchises, prestige dramas, documentaries, and animated features converged through ambitious, artist-driven music.
This year’s contenders reflect the Music Branch’s growing embrace of genre diversity and auteur collaboration. Rock, pop, orchestral, blues, and musical theater coexist, with songs crafted by some of the industry’s most influential figures. Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross deliver a muscular anthem with “As Alive As You Need Me To Be” from Tron: Ares, while Nick Cave and Bryce Dessner contribute the haunting title track to Netflix’s Train Dreams.
Major franchises loom large. Wicked: For Good earns two spots with Stephen Schwartz’s new compositions “The Girl In The Bubble” and “No Place Like Home,” performed by Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, respectively. James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash enters the race with “Dream As One,” written by Miley Cyrus, Mark Ronson, Andrew Wyatt, and Simon Franglen.
Documentaries also make a strong showing. Diane Warren, a perennial Oscar presence, advances with “Dear Me” from Diane Warren: Relentless, while Billy Idol’s “Dying To Live” captures the spirit of his career-spanning film. Meanwhile, Netflix’s animated KPop Demon Hunters emerges as a surprise favorite, with “Golden” gaining momentum as a crossover hit beyond the screen.
Ryan Coogler’s Sinners stands out with two shortlisted songs, including “I Lied To You,” co-written by Raphael Saadiq and Ludwig Göransson, and “Last Time (I Seen The Sun),” penned by Alice Smith and Miles Caton.
Ed Sheeran and John Mayer team up on “Drive” for F1, while Sara Bareilles, Brandi Carlile, and Andrea Gibson deliver the emotional “Salt Then Sour Then Sweet” for Come See Me in the Good Light.
Final nominations will be announced in January 2026.
Leave a Reply