That’s a fast turnaround, but one songwriting team and one individual songwriter did even better, winning back-to-back Oscars.
Billie Eilish and FINNEAS, winner of the Music (Original Song) award for ‘No Time to Die’ at the 94th Academy Awards held at Dolby Theatre at the Hollywood & Highland Center on March 27th, 2022 in Los Angeles.
Gilbert Flores
Billie Eilish and Finneas could be headed for their second Oscar for best original song in three years. The siblings won in that category in 2022 for “No Time to Die” from the James Bond film of the same name. They are nominated this year with “What Was I Made For?” from Barbie.
If they win when the 96th annual Academy Awards are presented on March 10 – as is widely expected – they’ll become the first songwriter or songwriting team to win twice in the space of three years since Tim Rice won in 1993, 1995 and 1997. Rice co-wrote those songs with three different collaborators.
Eilish and Finneas would be the first songwriting team to win twice in the space of three years since Alan Menken & Howard Ashman, who won in 1990 for “Under the Sea” from The Little Mermaid and in 1992 with the title song from Beauty and the Beast.
“What Was I Made For?” is competing with another song from Barbie, “I’m Just Ken (co-written by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt). This year’s other nominees for best original song are “The Fire Inside” from Flamin’ Hot (Diane Warren), “It Never Went Away” from American Symphony (Jon Batiste and Dan Wilson) and “Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People)” from Killers of the Flower Moon (Scott George).
Here are all of the songwriting teams, or individual songwriters, who have won two Oscars for best original song in the space of three years. As you’ll see, one songwriting team and one individual songwriter won back-to-back awards in this category. (Bonus points if you can name them without scrolling ahead.) The years shown are the years of the Oscar ceremonies.
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Jay Livingston & Ray Evans
1949: “Buttons and Bows” from The Paleface
1951: “Mona Lisa” from Captain Carey, U.S.A.
Notes: Bob Hope sang “Buttons and Bows” in The Paleface, in which he starred, but Dinah Shore (backed by Her Happy Valley Boys) had the biggest hit recording of the song. Her breezy recording topped Billboard’s Best-Selling Popular Retail Records chart for 10 weeks.
An uncredited troubadour sang “Mona Lisa” in Captain Carey, U.S.A., which starred Alan Ladd, but Nat “King” Cole had the biggest hit with it. His version topped Billboard’s Records Most Played by Disk Jockeys chart for eight weeks and became one of his signature hits.
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Sammy Fain & Paul Francis Webster
1954: “Secret Love” from Calamity Jane
1956: “Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing” from the film of the same name
Notes: Doris Day performed “Secret Love” in Calamity Jane, in which she starred. She took the classic ballad to No. 1 on Billboard’s Most Played by Jockey’s chart, where it reigned for four weeks. Day may be more famous for the other Oscar winner she introduced, “Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera),” but “Secret Love” is a better showcase for her underrated singing skills.
Frank Sinatra performed “Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing” in the film of the same name, which starred William Holden and Jennifer Jones. The Four Aces featuring Alberts had the biggest hit with the ultra-romantic song. Their version led Billboard’s Most Played by Jockeys chart for six weeks.
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Jimmy Van Heusen & Sammy Cahn
1958: “All the Way” from The Joker Is Wild
1960: “High Hopes” from A Hole in the Head
Notes: Frank Sinatra sang both of these songs in films in which he starred. (He was joined by Eddie Hodges, then 12, on “High Hopes.”) Sinatra also had the biggest hit versions of both songs. (For contractual reasons, Hodges was replaced by “a bunch of kids” on the recorded version.)
“All the Way” reached No. 2 on Most Played by Disc Jockeys. “High Hopes” reached No. 30 on the Hot 100. Sinatra recorded a special lyric version of the latter song for JFK’s 1960 presidential campaign, which Kennedy won by a whisker over Richard Nixon. The catchy campaign theme song, sung by one of the biggest stars of the era, just may have helped make the difference.
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Henry Mancini & Johnny Mercer
Image Credit: Bettmann/GI 1962: “Moon River” from Breakfast at Tiffany’s
1963: “Days of Wine and Roses” from the film of the same name
Notes: Mancini and Mercer are the only songwriting team to win back-to-back Oscars. (One other songwriter achieved the feat as an individual. Keep reading.) Audrey Hepburn sang “Moon River” in a memorable fire-escape scene in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, in which she starred. Mancini and R&B star Jerry Butler each took the song to No. 11 on the Hot 100, making those the biggest hit versions of the song. (Andy Williams’ famous version was never released as a single, but his album, Moon River & Other Great Movie Themes, reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and remained on the chart for more than three years.)
Mancini performed the version of “Days and Wine and Roses” heard in the film of the same name, which starred Jack Lemmon and Lee Remick. His version reached No. 33 on the Hot 100. Williams’ version, released as the B-side of his No. 2 Hot 100 smash “Can’t Get Used to Losing You,” reached No. 26 in its own right.
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Al Kasha & Joel Hirschhorn
1973: “The Morning After” from The Poseidon Adventure
1975: “We May Never Love Like This Again” from The Towering Inferno
Notes: Kasha & Hirschhorn wrote both of these songs for disaster films, which were popular in the era. (As if Vietnam and Watergate weren’t disasters enough.) Actress Carol Lynley performed “The Morning After” in The Poseidon Adventure, though it was voiced by Renee Armand. Maureen McGovern’s recording of the unexceptional “easy listening” ballad was a surprise No. 1 on the Hot 100 in the summer of 1973.
McGovern also sang “We May Never Love Like This Again” in The Towering Inferno. Her version hit No. 83 on the Hot 100.
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Alan Menken & Howard Ashman
1990: “Under the Sea” from The Little Mermaid
1992: “Beauty and the Beast” from the film of the same name
Samuel E. Wright sang “Under the Sea in the animated The Little Mermaid. The spirited song didn’t crack the Hot 100.
Angela Lansbury sang the exquisite “Beauty and the Beast” in the animated film of the same name. In a trend-setting move, a pop version by Celine Dion and Peabo Bryson was heard over the end credits. That version reached No. 9 on the Hot 100.
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Alan Menken (with different collaborators)
Image Credit: Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images 1992: “Beauty and the Beast” from the film of the same name (co-writer: Howard Ashman)
1993: “A Whole New World” from Aladdin (co-writer: Tim Rice)
Notes: Menken is the only individual songwriter to win back-to-back Oscars. Mancini and Mercer did it as a team.
As noted above, Angela Lansbury sang “Beauty and the Beast” in the animated film of the same name. A pop version by Celine Dion and Peabo Bryson was heard over the end credits. That version reached No. 9 on the Hot 100.
Brad Kane and Lea Salonga sang “A Whole New World” in the animated Aladdin. A pop version by Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle played over the end credits. It reached No. 1 on the Hot 100.
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Tim Rice (with different collaborators)
1993: “A Whole New World” from Aladdin (co-writer: Alan Menken)
1995: “Can You Feel the Love Tonight from The Lion King (co-writer: Elton John)
1997: “Colors of the Wind” from Pocahontas (co-writer: Stephen Schwartz)
Notes: Rice is the only person in Oscar history to win best original song three times in the space of five years.
As noted above, Brad Kane and Lea Salonga sang “A Whole New World” in the animated Aladdin. A pop version by Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle played over the end credits. It reached No. 1 on the Hot 100.
Elton John sang “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” in the animated The Lion King. His single recording reached No. 4 on the Hot 100, making it his highest-charting strictly solo hit in six years.
Judy Kuhn sang “Colors of the Wind” in the animated Pocahontas. A pop version by Vanessa Williams played over the end credits. It reached No. 4 on the Hot 100.
