Katy Perry is an Oscar Contender: Listen to the 9 Original Songs from Documentaries Shortlisted by the Academy
Popular nonfiction films Katy Perry: Part of Me and West of Memphis didn’t make the feature documentary Oscar shortlist, but they’ve at least made the semi-finals for another category, Best Original Song. From the former, the Academy named Katy Perry‘s song “Wide Awake,” which was written by the pop singer with Bonnie McKee, Dr. Luke, Max Martin and Cirkut, while contending from the latter is the Bill Carter track “Anything Made of Paper.” 75 songs in total were announced as being eligible for a nomination — the Academy made no claim to this extensive crop being considered a “shortlist,” although this is what press are now calling it.
Of those 75, seven tunes are from documentaries, most of them not shortlisted in the feature category last week. The single title that could now possibly pull double duty is Chasing Ice, which features the eligible Scarlett Johansson-crooned “Before My Time,” penned by J. Ralph. Meanwhile, with the track “Still Alive” from Paul Williams Still Alive, the title subject could earn his seventh nomination. Previous contenders by Paul Williams include the Muppet Movie hit “Rainbow Connection,” and he won his only Academy Award for “Evergreen (Love Theme From A Star is Born).”
Other nonfiction films listed among the bunch are Brooklyn Castle, for which John Forté wrote and performed “Protect the King,” Re:Generation (aka Re:Generation Music Project), featuring The Crystal Method‘s “I’m Not Leaving” (with Martha Reeves and The Funk Brothers), Death by China, with its title song by director Peter Navarro, Until They Are Home, featuring Clint Black‘s “She Won’t Let Go” and Fame High, with Alexander Rosenbloom‘s ”You Don’t Have to Be a Star.”
The nine doc song contenders are up against fiction film-based tunes by (or at least performed by) Adele, Karen O., Florence + the Machine, Arcade Fire, the Black Keys, Fiona Apple, Mumford & Sons, Norah Jones, Liz Phair, Rick Ross, John Legend, R. Kelly, Christina Aguilera and Jon Bon Jovi, among many others.
Here are videos with whole or partial versions of six of the songs followed by links to the other three:
“Wide Awake” by Katy Perry:
“Anything Made by Paper” (live) by Bill Carter and the Blame:
“Before My Time” by Scarlett Johansson and Joshua Bell:
“I’m Not Leaving” by The Crystal Method with Martha Reeves and The Funk Brothers:
“Death By China” by Peter Navarro:
“She Won’t Go” (live) by Clint Black:
“Protect the King” by John Forté (near the end of the podcast, go to 25:10)
“You Don’t Have to Be a Star” by Alexander Rosenbloom
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