The nominations for the 2026 Oscars were announced on Thursday (Jan. 22), revealing that five contenders are up for the highest honor a piece of music written for film can receive: best original song.
As predicted by many (including Billboard awards editor Paul Grein), “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters is nominated in the category after spending eight weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and 18 weeks atop the Billboard Global 200. Performed by EJAE — who also cowrote the track — Audrey Nuna and REI AMI, the singing voices behind Netflix’s favorite fictional K-pop girl group, the uplifting track has had an unprecedented run on the charts and in pop culture for a song from an animated film.
But “Golden” is just one track from a music-focused film that’s in the running. The Delta Blues genre was the lifeblood of Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, from which “I Lied to You” — created by Raphael Saadiq and Ludwig Göransson — scored a best original song nod. Diane Warren: Relentless examines the career of legendary songwriter Diane Warren, who penned “Dear Me” for the doc and is now nominated in the category for a 17th time.
Viva Verdi!, a film about retired opera singers, also scored a song nomination thanks to Nicholas Pike’s composition “Sweet Dreams of Joy.” The only film in the category that isn’t explicitly about music in some capacity is Train Dreams, a period piece about the early industrialization of the United States. From its soundtrack, “Train Dreams” by industry vets Nick Cave and Bryce Dessner is in the running as well.
The academy certainly has a lot to think about leading up to the Oscars ceremony on March 15. But right now, Billboard wants to know who you think should take home the statuette.
Below, tell us who you think should win best original song this year by casting your vote in the poll.
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