The nominees for the 88th annual Academy Awards were announced Thursday morning, and though the highest-ranking categories are already drawing a great deal of controversial fire over whitewashing, the Best Original Song category has managed to stick to the same formula of predictability, with a token “What the hell?” curveball.
Best Original Song was the first category revealed by directors Guillermo del Toro and Ang Lee, with the diverse run of nominees consisting mostly of first-time nominees, with two-time Best Documentary winner J. Ralph and seven-time Best Original Song Nominee Diane Warren as the exceptions. And diverse it is, spanning BDSM love stories to wheezy James Bond themes, this year’s roster of nominees are perfectly representative of the wide-ranging year in music and film.
Here are the five nominees for Best Original Song:
1. “Writing’s On The Wall” from Spectre
Nominees: Sam Smith and Jimmy Napes
2. “Simple Song #3” from Youth
Nominees: David Lang
3. “Manta Ray” from Racing Extinction
Nominees: J. Ralph and Antony Hegarty
4. “Til It Happens To You” from The Hunting Ground
Nominees: Lady Gaga and Diane Warren
5. “Earned It” from Fifty Shades Of Grey
Nominees: Abel Tesfaye, Stephan Moccio, Jason “DaHeala” Quenneville, Ahmad Balshe
The winner will be announced during the Oscars ceremony, which will air on February 28th at 7 p.m. EST on ABC.
