Last night was the Academy Awards, so the best in film from the previous year was duly recognized. HER, Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, and Jon Batiste all won big in the music categories, as anticipated.
HER got the Best Original Song win for her Judas And The Black Messiah track “Fight For You” over “Husavik” from Eurovision Song Contest: The Story Of Fire Saga (sung by Will Ferrell and Molly Sandén, the latter of whom Rachel McAdams lip-synced for the film), Celeste’s “Hear My Voice” from The Trial Of The Chicago 7, Leslie Odom Jr.’s “Speak Now” from One Night In Miami, and Lauren Pausini’s “Io Sì (Seen)” from The Life Ahead.
Reznor, Ross, and Batiste’s Soul score also picked up a win, in the Best Original Score category, winning over the former two’s score for Mank, as well as Da 5 Bloods, Minari, and News Of The World.
These victories were extraordinary, according to Billboard. Reznor, Ross, and Batiste are the first three-member composing team to win Best Original Score for The Last Emperor in 33 years, following Ryuichi Sakamoto, David Byrne, and Cong Su’s win in 1987. Batiste is also the third Black composer to receive an award in a scoring category, following Prince’s Best Musical Song Score with Purple Rain in 1984 and Herbie Hancock’s Best Original Score with ‘Round Midnight in 1986.
HER’s victory was also historically significant: For the first time in 35 years, a songwriter or songwriting team won an Oscar in the same awards season that they won a Grammy for Song Of The Year for a different song, as HER’s “I Can’t Breathe” just picked up the Grammy win a few weeks ago.
