Oscar Predictions: Best Original Song

This year, Oscar nominations will be announced on Thursday, January 10th. I’ll be offering detailed predictions in most of the major categories, saving some of the biggest categories for last.

Last year’s nominees: “Man or Muppet” (The Muppets), “Real in Rio” (Rio)

This year’s Golden Globe nominees: “For You” (Act of Valor), “Safe and Sound” (The Hunger Games), “Suddenly” (Les Miserables), “Skyfall” (Skyfall), “Not Running Anymore” (Stand Up Guys)

Other contenders: “Touch the Sky” (Brave), “Strange Love” (Frankenweenie), “Pi’s Lullaby” (Life of Pi), “Still Alive” (Paul Williams Still Alive), “Breath of Life” (Snow White and the Huntsman), “Gone” (Snow White and the Huntsman)

The rundown: Last year was truly bizarre, with only two nominees ending up in this category. The rules have officially been changed this year to ensure that there will be five nominees, and since the Golden Globes won’t have happened by the time Oscar nominations are unveiled, we’ll have to make do with what we have. Only “Safe and Sound” is ineligible for the Oscar, and this seems like a pretty straightforward list. That’s almost never the case, of course, so I’m going to offer my best guesses from among the 75 eligible songs for what I’m sure will be my most inaccurate category.

One possible crazy scenario: Katy Perry gets nominated for “Wide Awake” from “Katy Perry: Part of Me.”

Forecasted winner: “Suddenly”