STATEMENT REGARDING “ALONE YET NOT ALONE” SONG DECISION

THE ACADEMY ISSUES STATEMENT  REGARDING THE RECENT DECISION TO RESCIND THE ORIGINAL SONG NOMINATION

 

UPDATE TO: http://the-in-show.blogspot.com/2014/01/academy-rescinds-original-song.html

 

The Board of Governors’ decision to rescind the Original Song nomination for “Alone Yet Not Alone,” music by Bruce Broughton, was made thoughtfully and after careful consideration. The Academy takes very seriously anything that undermines the integrity of the Oscars® voting process. The Board regretfully concluded that Mr. Broughton’s actions did precisely that.

 

The nominating process for Original Song is intended to be anonymous, with each eligible song listed only by title and the name of the film in which it is used—the idea being to prevent favoritism and promote unbiased voting. It’s been a long-standing policy and practice of the Academy—as well as a requirement of Rule 5.3 of the 86th Academy Awards® Rules—­­to omit composer and lyricist credits from the DVD of eligible songs that are sent to members of the Music Branch. The Academy wants members to vote for nominees based solely on the achievement of a particular song in a movie, without regard to who may have written it.

 

Mr. Broughton sent an email to at least 70 of his fellow Music Branch members—nearly one-third of the branch’s 240 members. When he identified the song as track #57 as one he had composed, and asked voting branch members to listen to it, he took advantage of information that few other potential nominees are privy to. As a former Academy Governor and current member of the Music Branch’s executive committee, Mr. Broughton should have been more cautious about acting in a way that made it appear as if he were taking advantage of his position to exert undue influence. At a minimum, his actions called into question whether the process was "fair and equitable," as the Academy's rules require. The Academy is dedicated to doing everything it can to ensure a level playing field for all potential Oscar® contenders—including those who don’t enjoy the access, knowledge, and influence of a long-standing Academy insider.

 

SOURCE Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

NORAH JONES TO PERFORM NOMINATED SONG FROM "TED" LIVE ON OSCAR® TELECAST

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – Grammy® Award-winning singer-songwriter Norah Jones will perform “Everybody Needs a Best Friend” from the motion picture “Ted,” telecast producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron announced today. “Everybody Needs a Best Friend,” with music by Walter Murphy and lyrics by Seth MacFarlane, is nominated for an Original Song Oscar.  This will be Jones’s first time performing on an Oscar show.

"I had such a great time recording this song with Seth, and was thrilled to find out that it was nominated for an Oscar,” said Jones.  “Getting to perform it at such a prestigious event, which my friend is hosting, is a once in a lifetime opportunity."

 "We are happy to have Norah Jones perform Seth's and Walter Murphy's nominated song on our Oscar telecast," said producers Zadan and Meron. "We are big admirers of Norah's singing and she will help celebrate the unique circumstance of having an Oscar host who is also nominated for Best Original Song."

Jones emerged on the world stage with the 2002 release of her debut “Come Away With Me,” which sold more than 10 million copies and earned her five Grammy Awards. Since then, Jones has released a series of critically acclaimed and commercially successful solo albums – “Feels Like Home” (2004), “Not Too Late” (2007), “The Fall” (2009), and “Little Broken Hearts” (2012) – as well as two albums with her country collective, The Little Willies.  The 2010 compilation “...Featuring Norah Jones” showcased Jones’s versatility through collaborations with artists as diverse as Willie Nelson, Outkast, Herbie Hancock and Foo Fighters.

Jones’s songs have been featured many times on motion picture soundtracks, and she made her feature film acting debut in “My Blueberry Nights” in 2007.

Oscars® for outstanding film achievements of 2012 will be presented on Oscar Sunday, February 24, at the Dolby Theatre™ at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and will be hosted by Seth MacFarlane live on the ABC Television Network.  The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.