Robbie Williams’ ‘Forbidden Road’ disqualified from Oscars shortlist

nme.com:

Robbie Williams‘ song ‘Forbidden Road’ from his biopic Better Man has been disqualified from the Oscars 2025 Best Original Song shortlist.Better Man, which will be released on Boxing Day, sees the singer depicted as a CGI monkey, and the film tells the story of his life and career – from his early days in childhood to his first taste of success with boyband Take That.Earlier this week, when the Academy announced the shortlists for several categories for the 2025 awards ceremony, it was revealed that the film’s track ‘Forbidden Road’ was in the shortlist for Best Original Song.Now, though, the song has been knocked off the shortlist – no longer appearing on the official Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences webpage for this year’s Oscar shortlists.Members of the Academy’s Music Branch also reportedly received a letter yesterday (December 20) announcing the song’s disqualification, per Rolling Stone.

According to the publication, the letter alleges that ‘Forbidden Road’ “incorporates material from an existing song that was not written” for the film.An Academy representative reportedly confirmed the song in question is ‘I Got a Name’ by Jim Croce, written by Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel.

The song was the theme for the 1973 action film The Last American Hero. Fox is also one of the three governors for the Academy’s music branch.Due to the category’s eligibility rules, tracks shortlisted must only contain words and music that are “original and written specifically for the motion picture.” Per a letter obtained by Rolling Stone, the executive committee “met and reviewed materials” and determined that ‘Forbidden Road’ is not eligible under this criteria.Representatives for Williams and Fox have not commented.Elsewhere in.