Film Music Reporter

Starting today, we are publishing our predictions for the Best Original Song category of next year’s 96th Academy Awards on the left side column of this page. The selection and ranking is based on our own experience of the songs in context of the movies, reactions of Academy music branch members and others in the film music community, the level of awards campaigning and awareness of the competing titles, historical data and the response to the films in other categories. Predictions in the Original Score have previously been published here.

Final predictions published on January 21.

1. I’m Just Ken (from Barbie): Written by Mark Ronson & Andrew Wyatt
2. What Was I Made For (from Barbie): Written by Billie Eilish & Finneas O’Connell
3. The Fire Inside (from Flamin’ Hot): Written by Diane Warren
4. It Never Went Away (from American Symphony): Written by Jon Batiste
5. Road to Freedom (from Rustin): Written by Lenny Kravitz
6. Am I Dreaming (from Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse): Written by Leland Tyler Wayne, Roisee, Rakim Mayers, Mike Dean, Peter Lee Johnson and Landon “Script” Wayne
7. Meet in the Middle (from Flora and Son), Written by Eve Hewson, Gary Clark, John Carney, Joseph Gordon-Levitt & Robert John Ardiff
8. Keep It Movin’ (from The Color Purple), Written by Halle Bailey, Denisia Andrews, Brittany Coney & Morten Ristorp
9. Dance The Night (from Barbie): Written by Mark Ronson, Andrew Wyatt, Dua Lipa & Caroline Ailin
10. High Life (from Flora and Son): Written by Gary Clark, John Carney & Eve Hewson
11. Can’t Catch Me Now (from The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes), Written by Olivia Rodrigo, Dan Nigro
12. Wahzhazhe (A Song For My People) (from The Killers of the Flower Moon), Written by Scott George
13. Quiet Eyes (from Past Lives), Written by Sharon Van Etten & Zachary Dawes
14. Dear Alien (Who Art In Heaven) (from Asteroid City), Written by Wes Anderson, Jarvis Cocker, Richard Hawley
15. Superpower (I) (from The Color Purple), Written by Terius Gesteelde-Diamant

Predictions updated on December 21 following Academy shortlist and other industry awards announcements.

Note: Only two songs from a single movie can earn a final nomination.

1. I’m Just Ken (from Barbie): Written by Mark Ronson & Andrew Wyatt
2. What Was I Made For (from Barbie): Written by Billie Eilish & Finneas O’Connell
3. The Fire Inside (from Flamin’ Hot): Written by Diane Warren
4. Road to Freedom (from Rustin): Written by Lenny Kravitz
5. Keep It Movin’ (from The Color Purple), Written by Halle Bailey, Denisia Andrews, Brittany Coney & Morten Ristorp
6. Am I Dreaming (from Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse): Written by Leland Tyler Wayne, Roisee, Rakim Mayers, Mike Dean, Peter Lee Johnson and Landon “Script” Wayne
7. It Never Went Away (from American Symphony): Written by Jon Batiste
8. High Life (from Flora and Son): Written by Gary Clark, John Carney & Eve Hewson
9. Dance The Night (from Barbie): Written by Mark Ronson, Andrew Wyatt, Dua Lipa & Caroline Ailin
10. Can’t Catch Me Now (from The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes), Written by Olivia Rodrigo, Dan Nigro
11. Wahzhazhe (A Song For My People) (from The Killers of the Flower Moon), Written by Scott George
12. Quiet Eyes (from Past Lives), Written by Sharon Van Etten & Zachary Dawes
13. Dear Alien (Who Art In Heaven) (from Asteroid City), Written by Wes Anderson, Jarvis Cocker, Richard Hawley
14. Meet in the Middle (from Flora and Son), Written by Eve Hewson, Gary Clark, John Carney, Joseph Gordon-Levitt & Robert John Ardiff
15. Superpower (I) (from The Color Purple), Written by Terius Gesteelde-Diamant

Original predictions from December 18:

1. I’m Just Ken (from Barbie): Written by Mark Ronson & Andrew Wyatt
2. What Was I Made For (from Barbie): Written by Billie Eilish & Finneas O’Connell
3. Steal the Show (from Elemental): Music written by Ari Leff and Thomas Newman, Lyrics written by by Ari Leff and Michael Matosic
4. The Fire Inside (from Flamin’ Hot): Written by Diane Warren
5. Road to Freedom (from Rustin): Written by Lenny Kravitz
6. Dance The Night (from Barbie): Written by Mark Ronson, Andrew Wyatt, Dua Lipa & Caroline Ailin
7. A World of Your Own (from Wonka): Music written by Neil Hannon, Lyrics written by Neil Hannon, Simon Farnaby & Paul King
8. This Wish (from Wish): Music written by Julia Michaels & Benjamin Rice, Lyrics written by Julia Michaels
9. Keep It Movin’ (from The Color Purple), Written by Halle Bailey, Denisia Andrews, Brittany Coney & Morten Ristorp
10. High Life (from Flora and Son): Written by Gary Clark, John Carney & Eve Hewson
11. For the First Time (from The Little Mermaid): Music written by Alan Menken, Lyrics written by Lin-Manuel Miranda
12. Peaches (from The Super Mario Bros. Movie): Written by Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic, Eric Osmond & John Spiker
13. It Never Went Away (from American Symphony): Written by Jon Batiste
14. Am I Dreaming (from Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse): Written by Leland Tyler Wayne, Roisee, Rakim Mayers, Mike Dean, Peter Lee Johnson and Landon “Script” Wayne
15. I Am (from Origin): Written by Stan Walker, Michael Fatkin, Vince Harder & Te Kanapu Anasta

The Academy will announce a short list of 15 original songs (and scores) later this week and our predictions will be updated accordingly. The nominations for the 96th Academy Awards will be announced on January 23, 2024 and the awards ceremony is set to take place on March 10.