Golden Globe Nominees: Best Original Song

My predictions: 4/5
Who’s missing? Love Is Not Love (Bros), Applause (Tell It Like a Woman), many others

I hadn’t remembered which songs I had selected here and was pleased to see that I did so well overall. I’m most thrilled about Naatu Naatu (RRR), which I have a hard time believing wouldn’t win over anyone’s vote after listening to it and all the others. But Hold My Hand (Top Gun: Maverick) and Lift Me Up (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) are both good choices from popular artists – Lady Gaga and Rihanna – and Ciao Papa (Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio) has a particular relevance to its film. It’s interesting to note that there’s only one nominee here that’s the sole representative from its film, Carolina (Where the Crawdads Sing), which also happens to be the only film in this race I have yet to see.

Who will win? I’ll give this one to Hold My Hand.

Golden Globe Predictions: Best Original Song

I’ve been predicting the Golden Globe nominations for more than fifteen years, and even if the group doesn’t have the same industry relevance as in the past, it’s still helpful and fun to see what films and performances get honored. Here’s my assessment of the contenders in this category.

Down to Joy (Belfast)
Dos Oruguitas (Encanto)
Be Alive (King Richard)
No Time to Die (No Time to Die)
Here I Am (Singing My Way Home) (Respect)

This category is especially hard to predict without the list of fifteen finalists for the corresponding Oscar race, which won’t be released until after Globe nominations are unveiled. Presumed frontrunners include Hold My Hand (Top Gun: Maverick), Lift Me Up (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever), This is a Life (Everything Everywhere All at Once), Carolina (Where the Crawdads Sing), Do a Little Good (Spirited), Stand Up (Till), Nobody Like U (Turning Red), and Ciao Papa (Pinocchio). It would be fun to see creative choices like Naatu Naatu (RRR) and Love is Not Love (Bros), and watch out also for Applause (Tell It Like a Woman) and My Mind and Me (Selena Gomez: My Mind and Me), signature songs from movies that will not show up in any other categories.

Current predictions:
Lift Me Up (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever)
Love is Not Love (Bros)
Naatu Naatu (RRR)
Hold My Hand (Top Gun: Maverick)
Carolina (Where the Crawdads Sing)

Golden Globe Winner Predictions: Best Original Song

The competition:
Down to Joy (Belfast) was written by Van Morrison, marking his first nomination. The film is the nominations leader.

Dos Oruguitas (Encanto) was written by Lin-Manuel Miranda. He was nominated in this category in 2016 for a song from “Moana” and twice for his performances, in “Hamilton” and “Mary Poppins Returns.” The film is also nominated for Best Animated Film and Best Original Score.

Be Alive (King Richard) was written by Beyoncé and Dixson. She has three previous nominations in this category, for “The Lion King,” “Cadillac Records,” and “Dreamgirls.” She was also nominated for her performance in “Dreamgirls.” This is Dixson’s first nomination. The film is also up for Best Motion Picture – Drama and for stars Will Smith and Aunjanue Ellis.

No Time to Die (No Time to Die) was written by Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell. It’s the first nomination for both, and represents the only bid for the film.

Here I Am (Singing My Way Home) (Respect) was written by Jennifer Hudson, Jamie Hartman, and Carole King. This is the first nomination for Hartman and King. Hudson won her previous bid, which was for acting in “Dreamgirls” in 2006. This is the only nomination for the film.

Additional notes: All five of these songs made the fifteen-wide finalist list for the corresponding Oscar category. The winner of this award has gone on to win the Oscar seven times out of the past fifteen years, though six of the remaining times the winner wasn’t even nominated there. Eight James Bond songs have been nominated in the past, and the two most recent entries – from “Skyfall” and “Spectre” – won.
What should win? It’s a good list, but it has to be “No Time to Die.”
What will win? I don’t see how it’s anything but No Time to Die.

Golden Globe Winner Predictions: Best Original Song

The competition:

Fight for You (Judas and the Black Messiah) was written by D’Mile, H.E.R., and Tiara Thomas. This is the first nomination for all three. This film is also nominated for supporting actor Daniel Kaluuya.

Io Si (Seen) (The Life Ahead) was written by Diane Warren, Niccolò Agliardi, and Laura Pausini. Warren has five previous nominations, winning on her most recent time a song from “Burlesque” a decade ago. This is the first nomination for Agliardi and Pausini. This film is also nominated for Best Foreign Film.

Speak Now (One Night in Miami) was written by Leslie Odom Jr. and Sam Ashworth. This is the first nomination for both, and Odom is also nominated for his performance in the film, which additionally contends for Best Director.

Hear My Voice (The Trial of the Chicago 7) was written by Daniel Pemberton and Celeste. This is the fourth nomination for Pemberton, who contended previously for the scores for “Motherless Brooklyn” in 2020 and “Steve Jobs” in 2015, and for a song from “Gold” in 2016. This is the first nomination for Celeste. This film is up for Best Motion Picture – Drama and three other awards.

Tigress and Tweed (The United States vs. Billie Holiday) was written by Andra Day and Raphael Saadiq. This is the first nomination for Day, who is also nominated for her performance in the film. Saadiq was previously nominated for a song from “Mudbound” in 2017.

Additional notes: Only “Tigress and Tweed” missed the fifteen-wide finalist list for the corresponding Oscar category. The winner of this award has gone on to win the Oscar seven times out of the past fifteen years, though six of the remaining times the winner wasn’t even nominated there. Cynthia Erivo, Mary J. Blige, and Bjork were nominated in 2019, 2017 and 2000, respectively, for acting and songwriting, and in all three cases, they lost, but Lady Gaga, who was nominated in 2018, did succeed in winning this award.
What should win? After listening to these five songs a number of times, my clear favorites are “Io Si” and “Speak Now.”
What will win? I’m going to pick Speak Now over “Io Si” but I’m not entirely confident about that choice..

Golden Globe Nominees: Best Original Song

My predictions: 3/5
Who’s missing? Plenty of contenders

I haven’t had a chance to listen closely to these songs or many others, though I am sad that no music from “Over the Moon” made the cut. Interestingly, every film honored here boasts at least one other nomination, which isn’t always the case at all. Speak Now (One Night in Miami), Hear My Voice (The Trial of the Chicago 7), and Io Si (The Life Ahead) were the three I predicted, with Fight for You (Judas and the Black Messiah) and Tigress and Tweed (The United States vs. Billie Holiday) also making the cut. I’ll have more analysis on the musicians involved and the songs in general in my winner predictions – click the titles to listen to the songs on YouTube!

Who will win? I’m not sure, but I’ll pick Spirit for now.

Golden Globe Musings: Best Original Song

Golden Globe nominations for this year will be announced shortly, so here’s a survey of the contenders and the most likely predictions at this time. Weigh in with your thoughts, and let me know if I’ve left off anything important. A reminder that the Globes are wildly unpredictable and that, especially this year, it’s hard to know which films and performances will end up being honored.

Beautiful Ghosts (Cats)
Into the Unknown (Frozen 2)
Stand Up (Harriet)
Spirit (The Lion King)
I’m Gonna Love Me Again (Rocketman)

This category is especially hard to predict without the list of fifteen finalists for the corresponding Oscar race, which won’t be released until after Globe nominations are unveiled. Presumed frontrunners include Speak Now (One Night in Miami), Hear My Voice (The Trial of the Chicago 7), Rocket to the Moon (Over the Moon), Io Si (The Life Ahead), and Wear Your Crown (The Prom). If voters are feeling less serious, Húsavík (Eurovision Song Contest) or Wuhan Flu (Borat Subsequent Moviefilm) could show up here. Other contenders are Just Sing (Trolls: World Tour), (If Only You Could) Save Me (Mank), and Loyal Brave True (Mulan).

Current predictions:
Io Si (The Life Ahead)
Speak Now (One Night in Miami)
Rocket to the Moon (Over the Moon)
Wear Your Crown (The Prom)
Hear My Voice (The Trial of the Chicago 7)

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.

Golden Globe Nominees: Best Original Song

My predictions: 3/5, missing songs from “Cats” and “The Lion King”
Who’s missing? Plenty of contenders

This category feels much more normative than is usually the case. I’ve only seen two of the films in which the songs are featured, and only remembered one of them. I’m disappointed that “Wild Rose” couldn’t be represented here. I’ve listened to all of the nominees, and the two that seem strongest are Beautiful Ghosts (Cats) and Stand Up (Harriet). The other three are Into the Unknown (Frozen II), Spirit (The Lion King), and I’m Gonna Love Me Again (Rocketman). I’ll have more analysis on the musicians involved in my winner predictions – click the titles to listen to the songs on YouTube!

Who will win? I’m not sure, but I’ll pick Spirit for now.

Golden Globe Musings: Best Original Song

Golden Globe nominations for this year will be announced shortly, so here’s a survey of the contenders and the most likely predictions at this time. Weigh in with your thoughts, and let me know if I’ve left off anything important. A reminder that the Globes are wildly unpredictable and that it is still a bit early to gauge the reception or awards potential of a number of the so-called “contenders” at this point.

All the Stars (Black Panther)
Revelation (Boy Erased)
Girl in the Movies (Dumplin’)
Requiem for a Private War (A Private War)
Shallow (A Star is Born)

This category is especially hard to predict without the list of fifteen finalists for the corresponding Oscar race, which won’t be released until next week. Last year, I predicted “The Shallows” for this award, representing an unfortunate unawareness of the song’s real title. This year, I feel like I don’t even have that much of a clue. Stand Up (Harriet), Into the Unknown (Frozen 2), I’m Gonna Love Me Again (Rocketman), Beautiful Ghosts (Cats), Speechless (Aladdin), and Control (Her Smell) seem like the likeliest bets. I’d love to see Glasgow (Wild Rose) recognized, but I’m not sure if the movie will make it onto Globe voters’ radar. I look forward to getting to know any of these songs – I’m certainly least prepared for this category.

Current predictions:
Speechless (Aladdin)
Into the Unknown (Frozen 2)
Stand Up (Harriet)
I’m Gonna Love Me Again (Rocketman)
Glasgow (Wild Rose)

Golden Globe Winner Predictions: Best Original Song

The competition:
All the Stars (Black Panther) was written by Kendrick Lamar, Al Shux, Sounwave, SZA, and Anthony Tiffith. This is the first nomination for all involved. The film is also nominated for Best Motion Picture – Drama and Best Original Score.

Girl in the Movies (Dumplin’) was written by Dolly Parton and Linda Perry. Parton was previously nominated in this category for songs from “Transamerica” in 2005 and from “Nine to Five” in 1980, when she also earned bids for acting and New Star of the Year – Female, and one additional acting bid for “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” in 1982. This is the film’s only nomination.

Requiem for a Private War (A Private War) was written by Annie Lennox, who won this award in 2003 for her song from “The Return of the King.” The film is also nominated for Best Actress is a Motion Picture – Drama.

Revelation (Boy Erased) was written by Jon Thor Birgisson, Brett McLaughlin, and Troye Sivan. This is the first nomination for all involved. The film is also nominated for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama.

Shallow (A Star is Born) was written by Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando, and Andrew Wyatt. Gaga is also nominated for acting in the film, and won a TV award in 2015 for “American Horror Story.” The film also contends for Best Motion Picture – Drama and for director and actor Bradley Cooper.

Additional notes: Only “Requiem for a Private War” 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.
What should win? These are all good choices. I got on board with the slow beat of “Girl in the Movies” after listening to it a few times, but none of these compare to the film-defining “Shallow.”
What will win? Dolly Parton could surprise, but Shallow should be far enough ahead of everything else.

Golden Globe Nominees: Best Original Song

My predictions: 2/5, missing songs from “Black Panther,” “Dumplin,” and “A Private War”
Who’s missing? Trip A Little Light Fantastic (Mary Poppins Returns), The Place Where Lost Things Go (Mary Poppins Returns), Always Remember Us This Way (A Star is Born), Flower of the Universe (A Wrinkle in Time), I Crumble (Vox Lux), I’ll Fight (RBG), Hearts Beat Loud (Hearts Beat Loud)

Interestingly, this category doesn’t contain a song from the forthcoming musical sequel that picked up a nomination in the score category instead. Shallow (A Star is Born) was the only real lock here, and the lack of a bid for another song from the movie is irrelevant since it’s the only song that will compete at the Oscars. Both Revelation (Boy Erased) and Requiem for a Private War (A Private War) accompany their leading stars, while All the Stars (Black Panther) is nominated alongside its score and the film in the top race. Rounding out the list is the inclusion of Girl in the Movies (Dumplin’), which can be found in the Netflix original debuting tomorrow on the streaming service. Stats on the nominated artists and singers coming in my winner predictions.

Who will win? I listened to all these songs to refresh my memory (and introduce myself to the one I hadn’t heard). “All the Stars” is an anthem all its own as compared with the more traditional and worthwhile themes from the other three. Nothing holds a candle, however, to Shallow, which makes me think it’s unbeatable.

Golden Globe Musings: Best Original Song

Golden Globe nominations for this year will be announced in just a few weeks, so here’s a survey of the contenders and the most likely predictions at this time. Weigh in with your thoughts, and let me know if I’ve left off anything important. A reminder that the Globes are wildly unpredictable and that it is still a bit early to gauge the reception or awards potential of a number of the so-called “contenders” at this point.

Remember Me (Coco)
Home (Ferdinand)
This Is Me (The Greatest Showman)
Mighty River (Mudbound)
The Star (The Star)

This category is especially hard to predict without the list of eligible songs for the corresponding Oscar race, which won’t be released for a few weeks. The clear frontrunner is The Shallows (A Star is Born), and I have a feeling that Maybe It’s Time (A Star is Born), I’ll Never Love Again (A Star is Born), or Always Remember Us This Way (A Star is Born) might be nominated too, even though the Oscar campaign is only for the one song and only one film – “Burlesque” – has been nominated more than once in this category in the past twenty years (the classic Disney animated films of the 1980s and 1990s did it regularly before that). The Place Where Lost Things Go (Mary Poppins Returns) and Trip A Little Light Fantastic (Mary Poppins Returns) seem to be the leading original tunes from the forthcoming sequel and could show up here. Flower of the Universe (A Wrinkle in Time) is a good popular bet, one that feels right up Globe voters’ alley. Other strong contenders include Revelation (Boy Erased), All the Stars (Black Panther), and I Crumble (Vox Lux). I’ll Fight (RBG) could contend, but from what I can find, documentaries aren’t usually nominated at the Globes. I’d love to see Hearts Beat Loud (Hearts Beat Loud) recognized, but I think that’s a longshot at best.

Current predictions:
Revelation (Boy Erased)
Trip A Little Light Fantastic (Mary Poppins Returns)
Always Remember Us This Way (A Star is Born)
The Shallows (A Star is Born)
Flower of the Universe (A Wrinkle in Time)

Golden Globe Winner Predictions: Best Original Song

The competition: “Remember Me” by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez (Coco), “Home” by Nick Jonas, Nick Monson, and Justin Tranter (Ferdinand), “This Is Me” by Pasek and Paul (The Greatest Showman), “Mighty River” by Mary J. Blige, Raphael Saadiq, and Taura Stinson (Mudbound), and “The Star” by Mariah Carey and Marc Shaiman (The Star)

For your information: Pasek and Paul were last year’s winners for “La La Land.” The Lopez duo was nominated for “Frozen” in 2013 but didn’t win. Blige, who is also nominated for her acting performance this year, was previously up for penning a song from “Bobby” in 2006.

Who should win? I remember both songs from the two films I’ve seen – “The Greatest Showman” and “Mudbound” – were both memorable and impactful. I didn’t have a chance to listen to all these just yet, unfortunately, but plan to soon.

Who will win? I’ll go with a repeat win for the duo behind The Greatest Showman.

Golden Globe Nominees: Best Original Song

My predictions: 2/5, picking only the songs from “Coco” and “The Greatest Showman”
Who’s missing? A lot, but more on that come Oscar time

I was sort of guessing blindly here, but I do remember the nominated song Mighty River (Mudbound) that played over the end credits, and I’m glad to see it here. I’m not sure if it’s my favorite song, but This Is Me (The Greatest Show) is a fine selection from that film, which I saw yesterday and might end up with multiple nominations on Oscar day. I have to listen to the other three, all from animated films: Remember Me (Coco), Home (Ferdinand), and The Star (The Star). More once I’ve listened!

Who will win? I think Remember Me will take it, but I honestly don’t know yet.

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.

Golden Globe Nominees: Best Original Song

My predictions: 2/5
Who’s missing? Plenty

I really don’t know much about this category yet, so I have a lot of catching up to do. The five songs I’ll be listening to on repeat for the next few days are:

Gold (Gold)
City of Stars (La La Land)
How Far I’ll Go (Moana)
Faith (Sing)
Can’t Stop the Feeling (Trolls)


Who will win? My bet is Moana.

Golden Globe Winner Predictions: Best Original Song

The competition: “Love Me Like You Do” by Max Martin, Savan Kotecha, Ali Payami, and Ilya Salmanzadeh (Fifty Shades of Grey), “See You Again” by Justin Franks, Andrew Cedar, Charlie Puth, and Wiz Khalifa (Furious 7), “One Kind of Love” by Brian Wilson and Scott Montgomery Bennett (Love and Mercy), “Writing’s on the Wall” by Sam Smith and James Napier (Spectre), and “Simple Song #3” by David Lang (Youth).

For your information: This is the first nomination for all contenders in this category. Though the past three years have been different, in the past ten years, six of the winners have gone on to be snubbed by Oscar. There isn’t much more to say technically about this category except that big names tend to win over the buzziest songs. This is the seventh nomination for a James Bond film. Only one has ever won, and that was “Skyfall” in 2012. Brian Wilson has never been nominated for a Golden Globe but has contended for nine Grammys and won two of them.

Who should win? I just listened to all these songs again. I like “See You Again” but I was also surprisingly fond of “Simple Song #3.” They’re definitely different types of music.

Who will win? I think I’ll still go with See You Again even though I think that “One Kind of Love” could win due to its Beach Boys roots and “Simple Song #3” could also triumph because it stands apart so much from the rest of the nominees.

Golden Globe Nominees: Best Original Song

My predictions: 3/5, missing the songs from “Fifty Shades of Grey” and “Youth”
What’s missing? Too many to count and I don’t even know what they are

This is quite the list of films. There are two about music, “One Kind of Love” from Love and Mercy and “Simple Song #3” from Youth. The latter is an interesting selection that does have a crucial role in the film but isn't as traditional a song for this race. It's endearing to see the song dedicated to the late Paul Walker, “See You Again,” from Furious 7 honored, and the latest James Bond tune, “Writings on the Wall” from Spectre. And of course a song from Fifty Shades of Grey, apparently, “Love Me Like You Do.” As far as I can tell, every musician here is nominated for the very first time. I'll have to start listening to these on repeat before I have more thoughts.


What will win? I think it will be See You Again.

Golden Globe Winner Predictions: Best Original Song

The competition: “Opportunity” by Greg Kurstin, Sia, and Will Gluck (Annie), “Big Eyes” by Lana Del Rey (Big Eyes), “Yellow Flicker Beat” by Lorde (The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1), “Mercy” by Patti Smith and Lenny Kaye (Noah), and “Glory” by John Legend and Common (Selma)

For your information: This is the first nomination for all contenders in this category. The big statistic in this category is that, in the past ten years, six of the winners have gone on to be snubbed by Oscar, though the past two years have gone better. There isn’t much more to say technically about this category except that big names tend to win over the buzziest songs, like U2 taking the prize over “Let It Go” last year.

Who should win? “Glory” is the best and most timely song, but “Opportunity” is a great and catchy addition to “Annie” also. I’ve had “Big Eyes” stuck in my head since I saw the movie but I don’t think that’s such a good thing. “Yellow Flicker Beat” and “Mercy” don’t do much for me.

Who will win? I think it’s the moment for “Selma” and Glory.

Golden Globe Nominees: Best Original Song

My predictions: 3/5, missing songs from “Annie” and “Big Eyes”
Who’s missing? “Everything is Awesome”

This was a difficult category to predict without an Oscar eligibility list, and the only surprise as a result is that “The Lego Movie” didn’t earn a bid for its catchy tune. The five songs I’ll be listening to on repeat for the next few days are:

Opportunity (Annie)
Big Eyes (Big Eyes)
Mercy Is (Noah)
Glory (Selma)
Yellow Flicker Beat (The Hunger Games, Mockingjay Part 1)

Who will win? My bet is Mercy Is.