The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced yet another Oscar rule shake up in their latest press release announcing a significant change in the Music – Original Song category, which says if no song achieves a minimum average score of 8.25 in the nominations voting, there will be no original song nominees and thus no Oscar presented for the category.
The way the new rule is worded this makes for the possibility for as few as two nominees, as many as five and the unlikelihood of none. If only one song achieves the required minimum, it and the song with the next highest score will be deemed the nominees. If two or more songs achieve the minimum score, they will be the nominees though no more than five nominees can be selected. Previously, the rules dictated that there be no more than five but no fewer than three nominees in the category.
Last year there were two obvious choices for Original Song in Slumdog Millionaire‘s “Jai Ho” and “O Saya”. Peter Gabriel’s “Down to Earth” from WALL•E was the other nominee, but many were upset Bruce Springsteen’s “The Wrestler” from The Wrestler wasn’t included and unfortunately for those folks this rule change does nothing to affect that outcome as the judging scale remains the same. “The Wrestler” was played over the end credits and as a result the music branch felt its artistic impact on the film was negligible.
Now all the Academy has to do is figure out a way to make the performers happy so they don’t pull out of singing their songs at the ceremony as Gabriel did last year. The three nominated songs were reduced to a short medley to which Gabriel was quoted saying, “I don’t feel that is sufficient time to do the song justice, and I have decided to withdraw from performing.”
For the most part I like this change, but I would like to see the Academy’s music branch address the issue of songs that play over the credits and allow them to be considered for Oscar eligibility. While I wasn’t necessarily a big fan of Springsteen’s “The Wrestler,” I know there were many moviegoers that were. And any song that can keep an audience in their seats while white text scrolls across a black screen must be given its due.
The Academy’s release also says other modifications of the rules include normal date changes and minor “housekeeping” changes.
