The Academy announced the five nominees for Best Original Song at the 2026 Oscars on January 22, following the December shortlist of 15 tracks. Highlights include Diane Warren's 'Dear Me' sung by Kesha and the chart-topping 'Golden' from Netflix's KPop Demon Hunters, with the ceremony set for March 15 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
From the shortlist of 15 songs announced on December 16, the Academy's music branch selected five finalists for Best Original Song at the 98th Oscars, revealed January 22. The diverse lineup spans documentaries, animation, dramas, and more.
Diane Warren, with 17 prior nominations since 1988 but no wins, earned her latest for 'Dear Me' from the documentary Diane Warren: Relentless, performed by Kesha. Lyrics include: "Dear me, don’t worry ’bout it... You’re gonna be all right, you’ll see." Warren received an honorary Oscar in 2023.
The frontrunner is 'Golden' from Netflix's KPop Demon Hunters—the most streamed movie ever and a Best Animated Feature contender—performed by fictional K-pop group Huntr/x. Written by Ejae, Ido, Yu Han Lee, Hee Dong Nam, Mark Sonnenblick, Teddy, and others, it topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 18 nonconsecutive weeks in 2025, went double-platinum, and won the Golden Globe. Ejae told Rolling Stone, "‘Golden’ really means a lot to me, because I feel like at that time, I needed a song like that."
Other nominees: 'I Lied to You' from Ryan Coogler's Sinners, co-written by Raphael Saadiq and Ludwig Göransson (Göransson also nominated for Best Original Score), performed by Miles Caton; 'Sweet Dreams of Joy' by Nicholas Pike from documentary Viva Verdi! about Milan's retirement home for classical artists; and 'Train Dreams' by Nick Cave (lyrics and music) and Bryce Dessner (music), from the film adaptation of Denis Johnson's novel, praised by director Clint Bentley.
Songs from the shortlist that missed include Nine Inch Nails' from Tron: Ares, entries from Wicked: For Good and F1, and Billy Idol's from his documentary. The ceremony airs March 15, hosted by Conan O’Brien.
