Golden Globe Winner Predictions: Best Original Song

The competition: “Gold” by Stephen Gaghan, Danger Mouse, Daniel Pemberton, and Iggy Pop (Gold), “City of Stars” by Justin Hurwitz, Pasek and Paul (La La Land), “How Far I’ll Go” by Opetaia Foa'i, Mark Mancina, and Lin-Manuel Miranda (Moana), “Faith” by Ryan Tedder, Stevie Wonder, and Francis Farewell Starlite (Sing) “Can’t Stop the Feeling” by Max Martin, Shellback, and Justin Timberlake (Trolls)

For your information: A few contenders have been nominated exactly once before: Martin, Timberlake, Wonder, and Mouse. The latter two won, for “I Just Called To Say I Love You” in 1984 and “Ordinary Love” in 2013, respectively. Hurwitz is also nominated for Best Original Score, and Pemberton contended in that category last year too. This is the first year since 1998 that more than half the nominees in this category are from animated films. All five of these songs are Oscar-eligible.

Who should win? Astonishingly, it’s impossible to find the song from “Gold” and the film hasn’t been released yet. I’m not sure how all the Globe voters heard it, but oh well. The other four are good – both “Faith” and “Can’t Stop the Feeling” are really fun, and I think I’d vote for the more serious and stirring “City of Stars.”

Who will win? I suspect that “Hamilton” fever will propel “How Far I’ll Go” and Moana to the win.