AFT Awards: Best Original Song

This is the twelfth category of the 14th Annual AFT Film Awards to be announced. The AFT Awards are my own personal choices for the best in film of each year and the best in television of each season. The AFT Film Awards include the traditional Oscar categories and a number of additional specific honors. I’ve embedded the nominated songs below. Click here to see previous years of this category.

Runner-up:
Wuhan Flu (Borat Subsequent Moviefilm)

The winner:

Other nominees:

AFT Awards: Best Original Song

This is the twelfth category of the 13th Annual AFT Film Awards; to be announced. The AFT Awards are my own personal choices for the best in film of each year and the best in television of each season. The AFT Film Awards include the traditional Oscar categories and a number of additional specific honors. I’ve embedded the nominated songs below. Click here to see previous years of this category. I’ve decided again to include nominees from movies I didn’t see since I’ve spent so much time listening to them.

Runners-up:
Invisible (Klaus), I'm Standing with You (Breakthrough)

The winner:

Other nominees:

AFT Awards: Best Original Song

This is the twelfth category of the 12th Annual AFT Film Awards to be announced. The AFT Awards are my own personal choices for the best in film of each year and the best in television of each season. The AFT Film Awards include the traditional Oscar categories and a number of additional specific honors. Nominees are pictured in the order I’ve ranked them. Click here to see previous years of this category.

Runners-up:
When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs for Wings (The Ballad of Buster Scruggs), Revelation (Boy Erased)

The winner:
Shallow (A Star is Born) was the song of the year, capturing the passion and romance of its film in a way unmatched even by the other great songs from the film.

Other nominees:
Hearts Beat Loud (Hearts Beat Loud)
Always Remember Us This Way (A Star is Born)
I’ll Fight (RBG)
Maybe It’s Time (A Star is Born)

AFT Awards: Best Original Song

This is the twelfth category of the 11th Annual AFT Film Awards to be announced. The AFT Awards are my own personal choices for the best in film of each year and the best in television of each season. The AFT Film Awards include the traditional Oscar categories and a number of additional specific honors. Nominees are pictured in the order I’ve ranked them. Click here to see previous years of this category.

Runners-up:
Love and Lies (Band Aid), Stand Up for Something (Marshall), Mighty River (Mudbound), From Now On (The Greatest Showman), The Greatest Show (The Greatest Showman), Rewrite the Stars (The Greatest Showman)

The winner:
This Is Me (The Greatest Showman), one of a number of fantastic songs from its film, is a wonderful, catchy celebration of the individuality that the circus represents for those who hadn’t previously found a home.

Other nominees:
A Million Dreams (The Greatest Showman)
Mystery of Love (Call Me By Your Name)
Remember Me (Coco)
Never Enough (The Greatest Showman)

AFT Awards: Best Original Song

This is the twelfth category of the 10th Annual AFT Film Awards to be announced. The AFT Awards are my own personal choices for the best in film of each year and the best in television of each season. The AFT Film Awards include the traditional Oscar categories and a number of additional specific honors. Nominees are pictured in the order I’ve ranked them. Click here to see previous years of this category. I’ve decided again to include one nominee from a movie I didn’t see since the song was such a big part of the year and awards season.

The winner:
City of Stars (La La Land) captured a wonderful simplicity of a grand story and the emotions felt by its two protagonists.

Other nominees:
Audition (La La Land)
Can’t Stop the Feeling (Trolls)
Try Everything (Zootopia)
Drive It Like You Stole It (Sing Street)

AFT Awards: Best Original Song

This is the twelfth category of the 9th Annual AFT Film Awards to be announced. The AFT Awards are my own personal choices for the best in film of each year and the best in television of each season. The AFT Film Awards include the traditional Oscar categories and a number of additional specific honors. Nominees are pictured in the order I’ve ranked them. Click here to see previous years of this category. I guess I just didn’t hear that many songs this year in movies, so I have just three nominees.

The winner:
See You Again (Furious 7) initially didn’t speak to me because I didn’t love the film and the scene in which it was featured, but after hearing it a lot, it’s clear that it is a terrific tribute to an actor who died far too young.

Other nominees:
Simple Song #3 (Youth)
Hey Baby Doll (Danny Collins)

AFT Awards: Best Original Song

This is the twelfth category of the 8th Annual AFT Film Awards to be announced. The AFT Awards are my own personal choices for the best in film of each year and the best in television of each season. The AFT Film Awards include the traditional Oscar categories and a number of additional specific honors. Nominees are pictured in the order I’ve ranked them. Click here to see previous years of this category.

Honorable mentions:
Coming Up Roses (Begin Again), Stay with You (Rudderless)

Runners-up:
Immortals (Big Hero 6)
No Fate Awaits Me (The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby)
I Love You Too Much (The Book of Life)
The Apology Song (The Book of Life)
Like a Fool (Begin Again)

The winner:
Glory (Selma) was the perfect coda for its film, stylishly sending a message of peace and liberty summarizing those who stand up for those who cannot defend themselves.

Other nominees:
Everything is Awesome (The Lego Movie)
Opportunity (Annie)
Sing Along (Rudderless)
Lost Stars (Begin Again)

AFT Awards: Best Original Song

This is the twelfth category of the 7th Annual AFT Film Awards to be announced. The AFT Awards are my own personal choices for the best in film of each year and the best in television of each season. The AFT Film Awards include the traditional Oscar categories and a number of additional specific honors. Nominees are pictured in the order I’ve ranked them. Click here to see previous years of this category. I really don’t like the idea of having only four nominees, and I’m going with my past rule of accepting songs from films I haven’t seen for my fifth choice.

The winner:
Let It Go (Frozen) was a wonderfully exciting and enlivening tune that allowed one of its film’s main characters to truly express herself..

Other nominees:
Young and Beautiful (The Great Gatsby)
A Little Party Never Killed Nobody (The Great Gatsby)
The Moon Song (Her)
Oblivion (Oblivion)

AFT Awards: Best Original Song

This is the twenty-first category of the 6th Annual AFT Film Awards to be announced. The AFT Awards are my own personal choices for the best in film of each year and the best in television of each season. The AFT Film Awards include the traditional Oscar categories and a number of additional specific honors. Nominees are pictured in the order I’ve ranked them. Click here to see previous years of this category. I didn’t have nearly as much time to devote to listening to all of the eligible tunes this year, so instead I’ve selected three Golden Globe nominees that grew on me the more I listened to them, two of which are from films I haven’t seen in the aim of recognizing the best original songs written for motion pictures this past year.

The winner:
Skyfall (Skyfall) was a film-defining anthem for James Bond that blended perfectly with the themes and style of the 50th Bond film.

Other nominees:
For You (Act of Valor)
Safe and Sound (The Hunger Games)

AFT Awards: Best Original Song

This is the twelfth category of the 5th Annual AFT Film Awards to be announced. The AFT Awards are my own personal choices for the best in film of each year and the best in television of each season. The AFT Film Awards include the traditional Oscar categories and a number of additional specific honors. Nominees are pictured in the order I’ve ranked them. Click here to see previous years of this category. For the second year, I’ve decided to work off of the official list of 39 eligible original songs (as well as the Golden Globe winner, choosing to honor great songs from films I haven’t necessarily seen in the aim of recognizing the best original songs written for motion pictures this past year.

Honorable mentions (in alphabetical order):
The World I Knew (African Cats), Dakkanaga Dugu Dugu (DAM999), Never Be Daunted (happythankyoumoreplease), The Living Proof (The Help), Pictures in my Head (The Muppets), Hot Wings (Rio), Gathering Stories (We Bought a Zoo), Think You Can Wait (Win Win)

Runners-up:
Coeur Volant (Hugo)
Rainbird (Dirty Girl)
Hello, Hello (Gnomeo and Juliet)
Life’s a Happy Song (The Muppets)
Man or Muppet (The Muppets)

The winner:
Masterpiece (W.E.) was a wonderful love story anthem with meaningful lyrics and a powerful beat.

Other nominees:
Bridge of Light (Happy Feet Two)
Star Spangled Man (Captain America: The First Avenger)
Collision of Worlds (Cars 2)
Lay Your Head Down (Albert Nobbs)

AFT Awards: Best Original Song

This is the twelfth category of the 4th Annual AFT Film Awards to be announced. The AFT Awards are my own personal choices for the best in film of each year and the best in television of each season. The AFT Film Awards include the traditional Oscar categories and a number of additional specific honors. Nominees are pictured in the order I’ve ranked them. Click here to see previous years of this category. This year, I’ve decided to work off of the official list of 41 eligible original songs, choosing to honor great songs from films I haven’t necessarily seen (namely, “Idiots and Angels” and “Twilight: Eclipse”) in the aim of recognizing the best original songs written for motion pictures this past year.

Honorable mentions (in alphabetical order):
You Haven’t Seen the Last of Me (Burlesque), Me and Tennessee (Country Strong), If I Rise (127 Hours)

Runners-up:
Sticks and Stones (How to Train Your Dragon)
Bound to You (Burlesque)
Coming Home (Country Strong)
Chanson Illusionist (The Illusionist)
Alice (Alice in Wonderland)

The winner:
Le Gris (Idiots and Angels) is a gorgeous and unique ballad with wonderful scoring with wonderfully haunting lyrics.

Other nominees:
I See the Light (Tangled)
We Belong Together (Toy Story 3)
This Is a Low (Tamara Drewe)
Eclipse: All Yours (Twilight: Eclipse)

AFT Awards: Best Original Song

This is the twelfth category of the 3rd Annual AFT Film Awards to be announced. The AFT Awards are my own personal choices for the best in film of each year and the best in television of each season. The AFT Film Awards include the traditional Oscar categories and a number of additional specific honors. Nominees are pictured in the order I've ranked them. Click here to see previous years of this category.

The winner:
The Weary Kind (Crazy Heart) condensed country singer Bad Blake’s life down into four melodic and heartbreaking minutes, and it’s especially moving and powerful when performed in the film by Jeff Bridges.

Other nominees:
I See You (Avatar)
Colorblind (Invictus)
Cinema Italiano (Nine)
Winter (Brothers)

AFT Awards: Best Original Song

This is the twelfth category of the 2nd Annual AFT Film Awards to be announced. The AFT Awards are my own personal choices for the best in film of each year and the best in television of each season. The AFT Film Awards include the traditional Oscar categories and a number of additional specific honors. Nominees are pictured in alphabetical order.

The winner:
Roar (Cloverfield) served as an end credits score for the thrilling monster movie and I’ve hardly ever felt like I was on such a whirlwind adventure (barring of course the whole film beforehand).

Other nominees:
Jai Ho (Slumdog Millionaire)
O Saya… (Slumdog Millionaire)
Little Person (Synecdoche, New York)
Down to Earth (Wall-E)

AFT Awards: Best Original Song

This is the tenth category of the 1st Annual AFT Film Awards to be announced. The AFT Awards are my own personal choices for the best in film of each year and the best in television of each season. The AFT Film Awards include the traditional Oscar categories and a number of additional specific honors. Nominees are listed in alphabetical order by film title. Winners will be announced in late February.

I would have nominated “Despedida” from “Love in the Time of Cholera” but I did not see the film therefore it does not occupy a spot on my list.

Runners-up:
ONCE, “If You Want Me”
MEET THE ROBINSONS, “Little Wonders”
THE GOLDEN COMPASS, “Lyra” (I initially hated this one but now I sort of don’t)
MUSIC & LYRICS, “Way Back Into Love”
ONCE, “When Your Mind’s Made Up”

The nominees:
BEOWULF, “A Hero Comes Home”
The delightfully campy yet surprisingly fitting song that was the only thing besides the animation that was remotely decent about the film. Gotta love it.

GRACE IS GONE, “Grace is Gone”
A movie somewhat uncertain of itself finds its brilliance in this extremely sad yet effective song which underscores the protagonist’s sadness and frustration.

INTO THE WILD, “Guaranteed”
There are songs that fit their movies, and then there are songs that fit their movies. This is one song that translates perfectly to a young man who abandons all civilization to go off and live by himself in the wilderness.

MUSIC & LYRICS, “Pop Goes My Heart!”
Entertainment Weekly saluted this song as an Oscar snubee. The only thing better than this song is the accompanying music video with those ridiculous costumes and Hugh Grant having a grand old time.

ONCE, “Falling Slowly”
As is evident by the two other songs making the top ten (and of course the rest making up my top 15), this is a film that is completely about the songs. This song in particular defined and drove the film beautifully.