Oscars 2025: Best Original Song Race - A Breakdown of the Tunes Battling for Gold!

Hey music and movie fans get ready for some tunes to get stuck in your head! The Oscar nominations are here and that means it is time to talk about Best Original Song . This category always brings us amazing music and this year is no different. From heartfelt ballads to catchy pop anthems the nominees for 2025 are a diverse and talented bunch. Let's break down the songs the movies and who might just take home that golden statue.

The 2025 Oscar Nominees for Best Original Song: A Playlist of Movie Magic

This year we have a cool mix of genres and styles in the Best Original Song category. Let's check out each nominated track and the films they come from. You might just discover your new favorite song!

"El Mal" from Emilia Pérez
- Artist(s): Performed in the film
- Movie: Emilia Pérez - a Spanish-language musical that's a major Oscar contender this year.
- Fun Fact: This song actually WON the Oscar! It was considered a likely winner and it delivered. Zoe Saldaña who performs the song in the film also won Best Supporting Actress for her role in Emilia Pérez making it a big night for the movie and its music. The song is a powerful moment in the film where Rita (Saldaña) confronts corrupt politicians at a gala.
"The Journey" from The Six Triple Eight
- Artist(s): Nominee Elton John and Bernie Taupin
- Movie: The Six Triple Eight
- Fun Fact: Any time Elton John is nominated for an Oscar it is a big deal! This nomination is for "The Journey" and it’s another chance for him to add to his Oscar collection. Imagine if Elton John and Diane Warren both won in the same year! What a showdown of songwriting legends.
"Like A Bird" from Sing Sing
- Artist(s): Performed in the film
- Movie: Sing Sing - a movie that also earned a Best Supporting Actor nomination for Kieran Culkin.
- Fun Fact: Sing Sing is a smaller film compared to some of the other nominees but its music is clearly making an impact. The nomination for "Like A Bird" shows the Oscars can recognize songs from all types of movies big and small.
"Mi Camino" from Emilia Pérez
- Artist(s): Performed by Selena Gomez in the film
- Movie: Emilia Pérez
- Fun Fact: Selena Gomez is a major pop star and her nomination for "Mi Camino" brings even more attention to Emilia Pérez. Selena even walked the Oscars red carpet in a stunning custom gown. The song highlights her performance in the movie and her crossover into film.
"Never Too Late" from Elton John: Never Too Late
- Artist(s): Elton John and Bernie Taupin
- Movie: Elton John: Never Too Late
- Fun Fact: Yes Elton John is nominated TWICE this year in Best Original Song! This second nomination is for "Never Too Late" from a movie about himself. It is a testament to his legendary songwriting partnership with Bernie Taupin that they have two songs in the running.

Oscar Ceremony Shake-Up: No Live Performances of Nominated Songs This Year?

Hold on to your hats music fans because there was a major change at the 2025 Oscars. For the first time in 13 years the Academy decided to skip the live performances of the Best Original Song nominees. Yep no big stage performances of these awesome tracks.

Instead of live performances the show focused on the songwriters themselves. The Academy said they wanted to "celebrate their artistry through personal reflections from the teams who bring these songs to life" and "uncover the stories and inspiration behind this year’s nominees.” So it was more about the songwriting process than the big musical numbers we are used to.

Unsurprisingly some songwriters were not thrilled about this change. Diane Warren who was nominated for "The Journey" called it "frustrating". She pointed out that "Everybody loves to hear the songs" and "Music is so important to film." She has a point right? Many viewers love seeing those live Oscar performances.

However the Oscars were not totally without music. Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo who star in Wicked did perform songs from their movie. There were also performances by Doja Cat Lisa from Blackpink Queen Latifah and Raye. So there was still music just not the traditional nominee performances.

Red Carpet Glam: Selena Gomez Shines and Halle Berry Rewinds Time with a Kiss

Of course the Oscars red carpet was full of fashion and fun moments. Selena Gomez who is nominated for "Mi Camino" totally stunned in a custom blush-colored Ralph Lauren gown. It was covered in tiny gems and she looked amazing. She was definitely celebrating her nominations and her engagement to Benny Blanco.

One super nostalgic red carpet moment? Halle Berry and Adrien Brody recreated their famous 2003 Oscars kiss. Remember when Brody surprised everyone by kissing Halle Berry after winning Best Actor? Well this year Halle Berry paid him back with a kiss on the red carpet. It was a fun callback to a classic Oscar moment.

"El Mal" Wins Best Original Song: Emilia Pérez Takes Home Another Oscar

In the end "El Mal" from Emilia Pérez took home the Oscar for Best Original Song. It was predicted to win and it delivered. This win adds to the awards haul for Emilia Pérez which also won Best Supporting Actress for Zoe Saldaña. It was a successful night for the movie even though it faced some controversies leading up to the ceremony.