Oscar Original Song Shortlist Loaded With Taylor Swift, Rihanna, Selena Gomez, Lady Gaga, Diane Warren & More Making Cut

deadline.com:

The Film Academy has unveiled its 15-track shortlist for the Best Original Song Oscar in 2023, which marks a confluence between stars old and new.

Buzzy first-time entrants to the field included chart-toppers Rihanna, Selena Gomez, Taylor Swift and The Weeknd, who have been recognized for their respective contributions to the songs “Lift Me Up,” “My Mind & Me,” “Carolina” and “Nothing Is Lost (You Give Me Strength)” from the films Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me, Where the Crawdads Sing and Avatar: The Way of Water. (While Swift also looked to contend for Best Live-Action short with “All Too Well,” that title didn’t make the cut.) Returning to the list with the song “Applause” from Tell It Like a Woman — a Samuel Goldwyn Films anthology marking one of her smaller entrants to date — is Diane Warren, the 13-time Oscar nominee recognized in November with a long-overdue Honorary Oscar.

Also back, as expected, is Lady Gaga — the 2019 A Star Is Born Oscar winner who is this time recognized for the Top Gun: Maverick tune “Hold My Hand.” Other artists returning to the shortlist this go-round include two-time Oscar winner Alexandre Desplat with the song “Ciao Papa” from Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio; La La Land‘s Benj Pasek and Justin Paul with the Spirited song “Good Afternoon”; Rita Wilson (with A Man Called Otto‘s “Til You’re Home”) who had previously qualified twice; three-time Oscar nominee J.

Ralph with “Dust & Ash” from Mandana Biscotti’s documentary The Voice of Dust and Ash about musician Mohammad-Reza Shajarian’s courageous denunciations of the Iranian government; and Daniel Pemberton with the Amsterdam song “Time” performed by Giveon.