The Academy has rescinded the Best Original Song nomination for the title song of directors Ray Bengston and George D. Escobar's ALONE YET NOT ALONE.
In an odd bit of pre-Oscars drama, one of the Academy's nominations has been rescinded citing insider campaigning. Now before you point fingers in the direction of the closest Weinstein, let me tell you that the nomination that has been yanked out of contention is the Best Original Song nod for Alone Yet Not Alone's title song. Bruce Broughton, a former Academy member who wrote the music for the song, made the mistake of emailing Academy members to bring his song to their attention. That little bit of insider campaigning explains how this little-talked-about picture landed a nomination, and why it's been pulled (which might end up bringing more attention to the film anyway).
Hit the jump for the full press release explaining the mess.
BEVERLY HILLS, CA — On Tuesday night, the Academy’s Board of Governors voted to rescind the Original Song nomination for “Alone Yet Not Alone,” music by Bruce Broughton and lyric by Dennis Spiegel. The decision was prompted by the discovery that Broughton, a former Governor and current Music Branch executive committee member, had emailed members of the branch to make them aware of his submission during the nominations voting period.
“No matter how well-intentioned the communication, using one’s position as a former governor and current executive committee member to personally promote one’s own Oscar submission creates the appearance of an unfair advantage,” said Cheryl Boone Isaacs, Academy President.
The Board determined that Broughton’s actions were inconsistent with the Academy’s promotional regulations, which provide, among other terms, that “it is the Academy’s goal to ensure that the Awards competition is conducted in a fair and ethical manner. If any campaign activity is determined by the Board of Governors to work in opposition to that goal, whether or not anticipated by these regulations, the Board of Governors may take any corrective actions or assess any penalties that in its discretion it deems necessary to protect the reputation and integrity of the awards process.”
An additional nominee in the Original Song category will not be named. The remaining nominees in the category are:
“Happy” from Despicable Me 2
Music and Lyric by Pharrell Williams
“Let It Go” from Frozen
Music and Lyric by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez
“The Moon Song” from Her
Music by Karen O; Lyric by Karen O and Spike Jonze
“Ordinary Love” from Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
