Justin Hurwitz, Diane Warren & More 2023 Oscar Music Nominees React to the Good News
Soon after the nominations for the 95th annual Academy Awards were announced Tuesday (Jan. 24), nominees in the two music categories started expressing their gratitude, through statements issued by their publicists and social media posts.
Here are a few of their reactions:
Justin Hurwitz
Nominated for: best original score for Babylon
Nominations history: This is his second nomination in the category. He won six years ago for La La Land. He has also received two nods for best original song.
“I’m beyond thrilled to be recognized by the Academy for the Babylon score. As soon as Damien [Chazelle] had a script for his wild and beautiful movie, I started a three-year search for very special musicians who could bring their unique talent and flair to the music. I want to thank the musicians because without them, the Babylon musical performances and score wouldn’t be what they are.”
Diane Warren
Nominated for: best original song for “Applause” from Tell It Like a Woman
Nominations history: This is her 14th nomination in the category.
“Wow! This is so amazingly cool. It’s my 14th nomination but it feels like the first. I’m truly grateful for the recognition for this song.”
John Williams
Nominated for: best original score for The Fabelmans
Nominations history: This is his record-extending 48th nomination in the category. He has also received five nominations for best original song.
“I’m very grateful to the Academy for their kind recognition, and I’m enormously grateful to Steven Spielberg for offering me the opportunity to compose the score for this very special and personal film.”
Ryan Coogler
Nominated for: best original song for “Lift Me Up” from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Nominations history: This is his first nomination in the category. He was nominated for best picture three years ago as a producer of Judas and the Black Messiah.
“It was an honor to work with these incredible musicians in crafting a song for our film and for our friend. It was meant to be a tribute to love and the specter of loss and I couldn’t be happier that it is being recognized. “
Ludwig Göransson
Nominated for: best original song for “Lift Me Up” from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Nominations history: This is his first nomination in the category. He won for best score four years ago for the first Black Panther.
“I feel deep gratitude to have collaborated with Rihanna, Tems and Ryan Coogler on a song as profoundly personal as ‘Lift Me Up.’ For it to be recognized by the Academy is a huge honor. ‘Lift Me Up’ is a song that holds great meaning to us as it was written as a tribute to the extraordinary life and legacy of our friend, the late Chadwick Boseman, and his influence on this film. It felt cathartic and healing to write this song. We could not be more proud of this musical tribute and the unique collaboration that brought it to life. My deepest thanks go to Ryan Coogler, a true visionary and great friend, who created one of the most unique films of our time.”
Son Lux
Nominated for: best original score for Everything Everywhere All at Once. The trio’s Ryan Lott was also nominated for best original song for “This Is a Life,” which he co-wrote with David Byrne and Mitski.
Nominations history: This is their first nomination.
“2!?!?!? As if the joy of helping to make this wonderful and weird movie wasn’t enough, we are ecstatic to be nominated for our score, and for the song we wrote with David Byrne & Mitski for the film. While our belief in Everything Everywhere All at Once is boundless, receiving an Oscar nomination, let alone 2, wasn’t on our radar of possibility in this universe. Thank you to The Academy for this enormous honor!!!
“Thank you (and congrats!!!) to the entire EEAAO family, to A24, and to our own families and friends who fueled us with their love and support. Thank you to our managers Michael Kaufmann & Hannah Beatrice, and to the many musicians who joined us in the studio and through the internet to bring this music alive in whatever way possible.
“And of course, a very tearful thank you to our two dads, the daniels [directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert].
❤️❤️❤️ — Ryan, Ian, & Rafiq”
Carter Burwell
Nominated for best original score for The Banshees of Inisherin
Nominations history: This is his third nomination in the category, following nods for Carol (2015) and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017).
“It’s an honor to be nominated for Original Score for The Banshees of Inisherin with these other wonderful composers. It was a good year for film music. And such a joy that the whole cast of our film is nominated, as well as Mikkel [E.G. Nielsen] for the editing which set the pace for so much of my music. But most of all, I’m so grateful Martin McDonagh made this odd film, the opposite of a crowd-pleaser, which nonetheless is pleasing crowds.
Volker Bertelmann
Nominated for: best original score for All Quiet on the Western Front
Nominations history: This is his second nomination in the category. He was previously nominated for Lion (2016), on which he collaborated with Dustin O’Halloran. (Bertelmann was credited under the name Hauscha on that film.)
“I am excited and honored to be nominated for an Oscar. To be part of such a well-crafted and meaningful film means a lot to me. The collaboration with director Edward Berger was always based on being experimental and with a lot of freedom. I am very thankful for that. Congrats to Edward, producer Malte Grunert and the entire team on all their nominations.”
M.M. Keeravani
Nominated for: best original song for “Naatu Naatu” from RRR
Nominations history: This is his first nomination.
Paul Grein
Billboard
