Golden Globe Winner Predictions: Best Original Song

The competition:
Beautiful Ghosts (Cats) was written by Taylor Swift and Andrew Lloyd Webber. Swift was previously nominated for her work on songs from “The Hunger Games” in 2012 and “One Chance” in 2013. Webber won for writing the music to a song from “Evita” in 1996. This is the only nomination for the film.

Into the Unknown (Frozen II) was written by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez. The duo was nominated for a song from the first “Frozen” in 2013 and then again in 2017 for “Coco.” Though both songs won them Oscars, they have yet to win a Globe. The film is also nominated for Best Animated Film.

Stand Up (Harriet) was written by Joshuah Brian Campbell and Cynthia Erivo. This is the first nomination for both. Erivo also contends for her performance in the film.

Spirit (The Lion King) was written by Beyoncé, Ilya, and Labyrinth. This is the first nomination for all involved. The film is also nominated for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama. Beyoncé previously contended for songs from “Dreamgirls” in 2006 and “Cadillac Records” in 2008. The film is also nominated for Best Animated Film. The original film of the same name earned two nominations in this category in 1994, winning for “Can You Feel the Love Tonight.”

I’m Gonna Love Me Again (Rocketman) was written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin. John won this award in 1994 for “The Lion King” and was nominated again in 2003 for “Mona Lisa Smile” and in 2011 for “Gnomeo and Juliet.” Taupin won in 2005 for “Brokeback Mountain.” The film also contends for Best Motion Picture – Comedy/Musical and for star Taron Egerton’s performance.

Additional notes: Only “Beautiful Ghosts” missed the fifteen-wide finalist list for the corresponding Oscar category. The winner of this award has gone on to win the Oscar six times out of the past fifteen years, though seven of the remaining times the winner wasn’t even nominated there. Mary J. Blige and Bjork were nominated in 2017 and 2000, respectively, for acting and songwriting, and in both cases, neither won, but Lady Gaga, who was nominated for her performance last year, did succeed in winning this award.
What should win? After listening to these five songs a number of times, my clear favorites are “Beautiful Ghosts” and “Stand Up.”
What will win? There isn’t the same kind of frontrunner as there was last year, and so my best guess is that Spirit takes it.