This is a list of songs that won and were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song.
For a film to quality for the award, it has to be an original song where the musical and/or lyricist has to be involved in the composition to qualify; has to be written specifically for the film in which it appears; and both the music and lyrics have to be heard in the film. The award is presented to the songwriters and all the nominees are usually performed at the Oscars telecast before the winner is announced.
Responsible for the Award-Bait Song, and many of the winners and nominees went on to become Breakaway Pop Hits.
Winners and nominees:
- 1934: The Gay Divorcee "The Continental"
- Flying Down to Rio "Carioca"
- She Loves Me Not "Love in Bloom"
- 1935: Gold Diggers of 1935 "Lullaby of Broadway"
- Roberta "Lovely to Look At"
- Top Hat "Cheek to Cheek"
- 1936: Swing Time "The Way You Look Tonight"
- Born to Dance "I've Got You Under My Skin"
- Pennies from Heaven "Pennies from Heaven"
- Sing, Baby, Sing "When Did You Leave Heaven"
- Suzy "Did I Remember"
- The Trail of the Lonesome Pine "A Melody from the Sky"
- 1937: Waikiki Wedding "Sweet Leilani"
- Artists and Models "Whispers in the Dark"
- Mr. Dodd Takes the Air "Remember Me"
- Shall We Dance? "They Can't Take That Away from Me"
- Vogues of 1938 "That Old Feeling"
- 1938: The Big Broadcast Of 1938 "Thanks for the Memory"
- Alexander's Ragtime Band "Now It Can Be Told"
- Carefree "Change Partners"
- The Cowboy and the Lady "The Cowboy and the Lady"
- Going Places "Jeepers Creepers"
- The Lady Objects "A Most Over the Moon"
- Mannequin "Always and Always"
- Merrily We Love "Merrily We Live"
- That Certain Age "My Own"
- Under Western Stars "Dust"
- 1939: The Wizard of Oz "Over the Rainbow"
- Gulliver's Travels "Faithful Forever"
- Love Affair "Wishing"
- Second Fiddle "I Poured My Heart Into a Song"
- 1940: Pinocchio "When You Wish Upon a Star"
- Down Argentine Way "Down Argentine Way"
- Hit Parade of 1941 "Who Am I?"
- Music in My Heart "It's a Blue World"
- Rhythm On The River "Only Forever"
- Second Chorus "Love of My Life"
- Spring Parade — "Waltzing in the Clouds''
- Strike Up The Band "Our Love Affair"
- You'll Find Out "I'd Know You Anywhere"
- 1941: Lady Be Good "The Last Time I Saw Paris"note
- All-American Co-Ed "Out of the Silence''
- Blues in the Night "Blues in the Night"
- Buck Privates "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B"
- Dumbo "Baby Mine"
- Las Vegas Nights "Dolores"
- Ridin On A Rainbow "Be Honest with Me"
- Sun Valley Serenade "Chattanooga Choo Choo"
- You'll Never Get Rich "Since I Kissed My Baby Goodbye"
- 1942: Holiday Inn "White Christmas"
- Always in My Heart "Always in My Heart"
- Babes On Broadway "How About You?"
- Bambi "Love is a Song"
- Flying with Music "Pennies for Peppino''
- Hellzapoppin' "Pig Foot Pete"note
- The Mayor of 44th Street "There's a Breeze on Lake Louise"
- Orchestra Wives "(I've Got a Gal in) Kalamazoo"
- You Were Never Lovelier "Dearly Beloved"
- Youth on Parade "I've Heard That Song Before"
- 1943: Hello, Frisco, Hello "You'll Never Know"
- Cabin in the Sky "Happiness is a Thing Called Joe"
- Hers to Hold "Say a Prayer for the Boys Over There"
- Hit Parade of 1943 "Change of Heart"
- Saludos Amigos "Saludos Amigos"
- The Skys The Limit "My Shining Hour"
- Something To Shout About "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To"
- Stage Door Canteen "We Mustn't Say Goodbye"
- Star Spangled Rhythm "That Old Black Magic"
- Thank Your Lucky Stars "They're Either Too Young or Too Old"
- 1944: Going My Way "Swinging on a Star"
- Brazil "Rio de Janeiro"
- Cover Girl "Long Ago (and Far Away)"
- Follow The Boys "I'll Walk Alone"
- Higher and Higher "I Couldn't Sleep a Wink Last Night"
- Lady, Let's Dance "Silver Shadows and Golden Dreams"
- Meet Me in St. Louis "The Trolley Song"
- Minstrel Man "Remember Me to Carolina"
- Song of the Open Road "Too Much in Love"
- Sweet and Low-Down "I'm Making Believe"
- Up in Arms "Now I Know"
- 1945: State Fair "It Might as Well Be Spring"
- Anchors Aweigh "I Fall in Love Too Easily"
- Belle of the Yukon "Sleighride in July"
- The Bells of St. Mary's "Aren't You Glad You're You?"
- Can't Help Singing "More and More"
- Earl Carroll Vanities "Endlessly"
- Here Come the Waves "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive"
- Love Letters "Love Letters"
- San Antonio "Some Sunday Morning"
- Sing Your Way Home "I'll Buy That Dream"
- The Story of G.I. Joe "Linda"
- Tonight and Every Night "Anywhere"
- Why Girls Leave Home "The Cat and the Canary"
- Wonder Man "So in Love"
- 1946: The Harvey Girls "On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe"
- Blue Skies "You Keep Coming Back Like a Song"
- Canyon Passage "Ole Buttermilk Sky"
- Centennial Summer "All Through the Day''
- The Dolly Sisters "I Can't Begin to Tell You"
- 1947:Song of the South "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah"
- Good News "Pass That Peace Pipe"
- Mother Wore Tights "You Do"
- The Perils of Pauline "I Wish I Didn't Love You So"
- The Time, the Place and the Girl "A Gal in Calico"
- 1948: The Paleface "Buttons and Bows"
- Casbah "For Every Man, There's a Woman"
- Romance On The High Seas "That's Magic"
- That Lady in Ermine — "This is the Moment''
- Wet Blanket Policy — "The Woody Woodpecker Song"note
- 1949: Neptune's Daughter — "Baby, It's Cold Outside"
- Come to the Stable "Through a Long and Sleepless Night"
- Its A Great Feeling "It's a Great Feeling"
- My Foolish Heart "My Foolish Heart"
- So Dear to My Heart "Lavender Blue"
- 1950: Captain Carey, U.S.A. "Mona Lisa"
- Cinderella "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo"
- Singing Guns "Mule Train"
- The Toast of New Orleans "Be My Love"
- Wabash Avenue "Wilhelmina"
- 1951: Here Comes The Groom "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening"
- Golden Girl "Never"
- Rich Young And Pretty "Wonder Why"
- Royal Wedding "Too Late Now"
- The Strip "A Kiss to Build a Dream On"
- 1952: High Noon "The Ballad of High Noon"
- Because You're Mine "Because You're Mine"
- Hans Christian Andersen "Thumbelina"
- Just For You "Zing a Little Zong"
- Son of Paleface "Am I in Love"
- 1953: Calamity Jane "Secret Love"
- The Caddy "That's Amore"
- Miss Sadie Thompson "Blue Pacific Blues"
- The Moon is Blue "The Moon is Blue"
- Small Town Girl "My Flaming Heart"
- 1954: Three Coins in the Fountain "Three Coins in the Fountain"
- The High and the Mighty "The High and the Mighty"
- A Star Is Born "The Man That Got Away"
- Susan Slept Here "Hold My Hand"
- White Christmas "Count Your Blessings (Instead of Sheep)"
- 1955: Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing "Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing"
- Daddy Long Legs "Something's Gotta Give"
- Love Me Or Leave Me "I'll Never Stop Loving You"
- The Tender Trap "(Love Is) The Tender Trap"
- Unchained "Unchained Melody"
- 1956: The Man Who Knew Too Much "Que Sera, Sera"
- Friendly Persuasion "Friendly Persuasion"
- High Society "True Love"
- Julie "Julie"
- Written on the Wind "Written on the Wind"
- 1957: The Joker Is Wild "All the Way"
- An Affair to Remember "An Affair to Remember"
- April Love "April Love"
- Tammy And The Bachelor "Tammy"
- Wild Is The Wind "Wild Is the Wind"
- 1958: Gigi "Gigi"
- A Certain Smile "A Certain Smile"
- Houseboat "Almost in Your Arms"
- Marjorie Morningstar "A Very Precious Love"
- Some Came Running "To Love and Be Loved"
- 1959: A Hole Inthe Head "High Hopes"
- The Best Of Everything "The Best of Everything"
- The Five Pennies "The Five Pennies"
- The Hanging Tree "The Hanging Tree"
- The Young Land "Strange Are the Ways of Love"
- 1960: Never on Sunday "Never on Sunday"
- The Alamo "The Green Leaves of Summer"
- The Facts of Life "The Facts of Life"
- High Time "The Second Time Around"
- Pepe "Faraway Part of Town"
- 1961: Breakfast at Tiffany's "Moon River"
- Bachelor in Paradise "Bachelor in Paradise"
- El Cid "The Falcon and the Dove"
- Pocketful of Miracles "Pocketful of Miracles"
- Town Without Pity "Town Without Pity"
- 1962: Days of Wine and Roses "Days of Wine and Roses"
- Mutiny on the Bounty "Follow Me"
- Two for the Seesaw "Second Chance"
- Tender Is the Night "Tender Is the Night"
- Walk on the Wild Side "Walk on the Wild Side"
- 1963: Papa's Delicate Condition "Call Me Irresponsible"
- 55 Days at Peking "So Little Time"
- Charade "Charade"
- It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World"
- Mondo Cane "More"
- 1964: Mary Poppins "Chim Chim Cher-ee"
- Dear Heart "Dear Heart"
- Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte "Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte"
- Robin and the 7 Hoods "My Kind of Town"
- Where Love Has Gone "Where Loves Has Gone"
- 1965: The Sandpiper "The Shadow of Your Smile"
- Cat Ballou "The Ballad of Cat Ballou"
- The Great Race "The Sweetheart Tree"
- The Umbrellas of Cherbourg "I Will Wait for You"
- What's New Pussycat? "What's New, Pussycat?"
- 1966: Born Free "Born Free"
- Alfie "Alfie"
- An American Dream "A Time for Love"
- Georgy Girl "Georgy Girl"
- Hawaii "My Wishing Doll"
- 1967: Doctor Dolittle "Talk to the Animals"
- Banning "The Eyes of Love"
- Casino Royale "The Look of Love"
- The Jungle Book "The Bare Necessities"
- Thoroughly Modern Millie "Thoroughly Modern Millie"
- 1968: The Thomas Crown Affair "The Windmills of Your Mind"
- Chitty Chitty Bang Bang "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang"
- For Love of Ivy "For Love of Ivy"
- Funny Girl — "Funny Girl"
- Star! "Star!"
- 1969: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head"
- The Happy Ending "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?"
- The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie — "Jean"
- The Sterile Cuckoo "Some Saturday Morning"
- True Grit "True Grit"
- 1970: Lovers and Other Strangers "For All We Know"
- Darling Lili "Whistling Away the Dark"
- Madron "Till Love Touches Your Life"
- Pieces of Dreams "Pieces of Dreams"
- Scrooge "Thank You Very Much"
- 1971: Shaft "Theme from Shaft"
- Bedknobs and Broomsticks "The Age of Not Believing"
- Bless the Beasts & Children "Bless the Beasts and Children"
- Kotch "Life is What You Make It"
- Sometimes a Great Notion "All His Children"
- 1972: The Poseidon Adventure "The Morning After"
- Ben "Ben"
- The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean "Marmalade, Molasses and Honey"
- The Little Ark "Come Follow, Follow Me"
- The Stepmother "Strange Are the Ways of Love"
- 1973: The Way We Were "The Way We Were"
- Cinderella Liberty "(You're So) Nice to Be Around"
- Live and Let Die "Live and Let Die"
- Robin Hood "Love"
- A Touch of Class "All That Love Went to Waste"
- 1974: The Towering Inferno "We May Never Love Like This Again"
- Benji "I Feel Love"
- Blazing Saddles "Blazing Saddles"
- Gold "Wherever Love Takes Me"
- The Little Prince "Little Prince"
- 1975: Nashville "I'm Easy"
- Funny Lady "How Lucky Can You Get?"
- Mahogany "Do You Know Where You're Going To"
- The Other Side of The Mountain "Richard's Window"
- Whiffs "Now That We're In Love"
- 1976: A Star Is Born — "Evergreen"
- Half a House "A World That Never Was"
- The Omen "Ave Satani"
- The Pink Panther Strikes Again "Come to Me"
- Rocky "Gonna Fly Now"
- 1977: You Light Up My Life "You Light Up My Life"
- Pete's Dragon "Candle on the Water"
- The Rescuers "Someone's Waiting for You"
- The Slipper and the Rose "He Danced with Me/She Danced with Me"
- The Spy Who Loved Me "Nobody Does It Better"
- 1978: Thank God It's Friday "Last Dance"
- Foul Play "Ready to Take a Chance Again"
- Grease "Hopelessly Devoted to You"
- The Magic of Lassie "When You're Loved"
- Same Time, Next Year "The Last Time I Felt Like This"
- 1979: Norma Rae "It Goes Like It Goes"
- 10 "It's Easy to Say"
- Ice Castles "Through the Eyes of Love"
- The Muppet Movie "Rainbow Connection"
- The Promise "I'll Never Say Goodbye"
- 1980: Fame "Fame"
- 9 to 5 "9 to 5"
- The Competition "People Alone"
- Fame "Out There on My Own"
- Honeysuckle Rose "On the Road Again"
- 1981: Arthur "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)"
- Endless Love "Endless Love"
- For Your Eyes Only "For Your Eyes Only"
- The Great Muppet Caper "The First Time It Happens"
- Ragtime "One More Hour"
- 1982: An Officer and a Gentleman "Up Where We Belong"
- Best Friends "How Do You Keep the Music Playing?
- Rocky III "Eye of the Tiger"
- Tootsie "It Might Be You"
- Yes, Giorgio "If We Were in Love"
- 1983: Flashdance "Flashdance...What a Feeling"
- Flashdance "Maniac"
- Tender Mercies "Over You"
- Yentl "Papa, Can You Hear Me?"
- Yentl "The Way He Makes Me Feel"
- 1984: The Woman in Red "I Just Called to Say I Love You"
- Against All Odds "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now")
- Footloose "Footloose"
- Footloose "Let's Hear It for the Boy"
- Ghostbusters "Ghostbusters"
- 1985: White Nights "Say You, Say Me"
- Back to the Future "The Power of Love"
- A Chorus Line "Surprise Surprise"
- The Color Purple "Miss Celie's Blues (Sister)"
- White Nights "Separate Lives"
- 1986: Top Gun "Take My Breath Away"
- An American Tail "Somewhere Out There"
- The Karate Kid Part II "Glory of Love"
- Little Shop of Horrors "Mean Green Mother from Outer Space"
- That's Life! "Life in a Looking Glass"
- 1987: Dirty Dancing "(I've Had) The Time of My Life"
- Beverly Hills Cop II "Shakedown"
- Cry Freedom "Cry Freedom"
- Mannequin "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now"
- The Princess Bride "Storybook Love"
- 1988: Working Girl "Let the River Run"
- Bagdad Cafe "Calling You"
- Buster "Two Hearts"
- 1989: The Little Mermaid "Under the Sea"
- Chances Are "After All"
- The Little Mermaid "Kiss the Girl"
- Parenthood "I Love to See You Smile"
- Shirley Valentine "The Girl Who Used to Be Me"
- 1990: Dick Tracy "Sooner or Later (I Always Get My Man)"
- The Godfather Part III "Promise Me You'll Remember"
- Home Alone "Somewhere in My Memory"
- Postcards from the Edge "I'm Checkin' Out"
- Young Guns II "Blaze of Glory"
- 1991: Beauty and the Beast "Beauty and the Beast"
- Beauty and the Beast "Be Our Guest"
- Beauty and the Beast "Belle"
- Hook "When You're Alone"
- Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You"
- 1992: Aladdin "A Whole New World"
- Aladdin "Friend Like Me"
- The Bodyguard "I Have Nothing"
- The Bodyguard "Run to You"
- The Mambo Kings "Beautiful Maria of My Soul"
- 1993: Philadelphia "Streets of Philadelphia"
- Beethoven's 2nd "The Day I Fall in Love"
- Philadelphia "Philadelphia"
- Poetic Justice "Again"
- Sleepless in Seattle "A Wink and a Smile"
- 1994: The Lion King "Can You Feel the Love Tonight?"
- 1995: Pocahontas "Colors of the Wind"
- Dead Man Walking "Dead Man Walkin'"
- Don Juan DeMarco "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?"
- Sabrina "Moonlight"
- Toy Story "You've Got a Friend in Me"
- 1996: Evita "You Must Love Me"
- The Mirror Has Two Faces "I Finally Found Someone"
- One Fine Day "For the First Time"
- That Thing You Do! "That Thing You Do!"
- Up Close and Personal "Because You Loved Me"
- 1997: Titanic "My Heart Will Go On"
- Anastasia "Journey to the Past"
- Con Air — "How Do I Live"
- Good Will Hunting "Miss Misery"
- Hercules "Go the Distance"
- 1998: The Prince of Egypt "When You Believe"
- Armageddon "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing"
- Babe: Pig in the City "That'll Do"
- The Horse Whisperer "A Soft Place to Fall"
- Quest for Camelot "The Prayer"
- 1999: Tarzan "You'll Be in My Heart"
- Magnolia "Save Me"
- Music of the Heart "Music of My Heart"
- South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut "Blame Canada"
- Toy Story 2 "When She Loved Me"
- 2000: Wonder Boys "Things Have Changed"
- Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon "A Love Before Time"
- Dancer in the Dark "I've Seen It All"
- The Emperor's New Groove "My Funny Friend and Me"
- Meet the Parents "A Fool in Love"
- 2001: Monsters, Inc. "If I Didn't Have You"
- 2002: 8 Mile "Lose Yourself"
- Chicago "I Move On"
- Frida "Burn It Blue"
- Gangs of New York "The Hands That Built America"
- The Wild Thornberrys Movie "Father and Daughter"
- 2003: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King "Into the West"
- Cold Mountain "Scarlet Tide"
- Cold Mountain "You Will Be My Ain True Love"
- A Mighty Wind "A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow"
- The Triplets of Belleville "Belleville Rendez-Vous"
- 2004: The Motorcycle Diaries "Al otro lado del río"
- The Chorus "Vois sur ton chemin (Look to Your Path}"
- The Phantom of the Opera "Learn to Be Lonely"
- The Polar Express "Believe"
- Shrek 2 "Accidentally in Love"
- 2005: Hustle & Flow "It's Hard out Here for a Pimp"
- Crash "In the Deep"
- Transamerica "Travelin' Thru"
- 2006: An Inconvenient Truth "I Need to Wake Up"
- Cars "Our Town"
- Dreamgirls "Listen"
- Dreamgirls "Love You I Do"
- Dreamgirls "Patience"
- 2007: Once "Falling Slowly"
- August Rush "Raise It Up"
- Enchanted "Happy Working Song"
- Enchanted "So Close"
- Enchanted "That's How You Know"
- 2008: Slumdog Millionaire "Jai Ho"
- Slumdog Millionaire "O...Saya"
- WALLE "Down to Earth"
- 2009: Crazy Heart "The Weary Kind"
- Nine "Take It All"
- Paris 36 "Loin de Paname"
- The Princess and the Frog "Almost There"
- The Princess and the Frog "Down in New Orleans"
- 2010: Toy Story 3 "We Belong Together"
- 127 Hours "If I Rise"
- Country Strong "Coming Home"
- Tangled "I See the Light"
- 2011: The Muppets "Man or Muppet"
- Rio "Real in Rio"
- 2012: Skyfall "Skyfall"
- Chasing Ice "Before My Time"
- Les Misérables "Suddenly"
- Life of Pi "Pi's Lullaby"
- Ted "Everybody Needs a Best Friend"
- 2013: Frozen "Let It Go"
- Despicable Me 2 "Happy"
- Her "The Moon Song"
- Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom "Ordinary Love"
- 2014: Selma "Glory"
- Begin Again "Lost Stars"
- Beyond the Lights "Grateful"
- Glen Campbell... I'll Be Me "I'm Not Gonna Miss You"
- The LEGO Movie "Everything Is Awesome"
- 2015: Spectre "Writing's on the Wall"
- Fifty Shades of Grey "Earned It"
- The Hunting Ground "Til It Happens to You"
- Racing Extinction "Manta Ray"
- Youth "Simple Song #3"
- 2016: La La Land "City of Stars"
- Jim: The James Foley Story "The Empty Chair"
- La La Land "Audition (The Fools Who Dream)"
- Moana "How Far I'll Go"
- Trolls "Can't Stop the Feeling!"
- 2017: Coco "Remember Me"
- Call Me by Your Name "Mystery of Love"
- The Greatest Showman "This Is Me"
- Marshall "Stand Up For Something"
- Mudbound "Mighty River"
- 2018: A Star Is Born "Shallow"
- The Ballad of Buster Scruggs "When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs for Wings"
- Black Panther "All the Stars"
- Mary Poppins Returns "The Place Where Lost Things Go"
- RBG "I'll Fight"
- 2019: Rocketman "(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again"
- Breakthrough "I'm Standing With You"
- Frozen II "Into the Unknown"
- Harriet "Stand Up"
- Toy Story 4 "I Can't Let You Throw Yourself Away"
- 2020-21: Judas and the Black Messiah "Fight for You"
- Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga "Húsavík (My Hometown)"
- The Life Ahead "Io sì (Seen)"
- One Night in Miami... "Speak Now"
- The Trial of the Chicago 7 "Hear My Voice"
- 2021: No Time to Die "No Time to Die"
- Belfast "Down to Joy"
- Encanto "Dos Oruguitas"
- Four Good Days "Somehow You Do"
- King Richard "Be Alive"
- 2022: RRR "Naatu Naatu"
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever "Lift Me Up"
- Everything Everywhere All at Once "This Is a Life"
- Tell It Like a Woman "Applause"
- Top Gun: Maverick "Hold My Hand"