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December 18, 2024

Press/Hanna Hanseroth

Elton John and Brandi Carlile’s song “Never Too Late” from the documentary of the same name was nominated for best original song at the 2025 Oscars.

The Academy announced the shortlists for several categories for the 2025 awards ceremony last night (December 17). The shortlists revealed include Best Original Song and Best Original Music.

In addition to John & Carlile, the shortlist for best original song also includes some heavyweights from the pop world, including Kneecap, Pharrell Williams, Robbie Williams, Selena Gomez and Trent Reznor.

After watching an early clip of the in-progress documentary, Brandi was inspired to write her own song, using Bernie Taupin’s style as her guide. Brandi brought the lyrics and concept to Elton to continue writing together, while Andrew Watt added more lyrics and production.

John told Billboard that Carlile’s song “just summed up the entire documentary perfectly.” “She wrote down what she saw very succinctly and summarized the entire hour and 40 minutes in one lyric, which was incredible.”

“I was touched by what I saw. I particularly liked some of these historical shots and they took me back to my childhood,” said Carlile. “I felt like my life was flashing before my eyes while I was admiring Elton. And I came to the conclusion that I had something to say about him and that I wanted him to say it,” she says.

Oscar nomination for Best Original Song

Aaron Pierre & Tiffany Boone – Tell Me It’s You (Mufasa: The Lion King)
Adrian Quesada & Abraham Alexander – Like a Bird (Sing Sing)
Auli’i Cravalho with Rachel House – Beyond (Moana 2)
Camille, Zoe Saldaña & Karla Sofía Gascón – El Mal (Emilia Pérez)
Elton John & Brandi Carlile – Never Too Late (Elton John: Never Too Late)
Kneecap – nausea in the head (kneecap)
Kristen Wiig – Harper and Will Go West (Will & Harper)
Lainey Wilson – Out of Oklahoma (Twisters)
Maren Morris – Kiss the Sky (The Wild Robot)
Pharrell Williams & Princess Anne High School Fabulous Marching Cavaliers – Piece by Piece (Piece by Piece)
Robbie Williams – Forbidden Road (Better Man)
Saoirse Ronan & Nicholas Britell – Winter Coat (Lightning)
Selena Gomez – Mi Camino (Emilia Pérez)
Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross – Compress/Suppress (Challengers)

Best original music shortlist

Aaron Zigman – The Six Triple Eight
Amelia Warner – Young Woman and the Sea
Andrea Datzman – Inside Out 2
Alberto Iglesias – The room next door
Benjamin Wallfisch – Alien: Romulus
Bryce Dessner – Sing Sing
Chanda Dancy – Blink twice
Clément Ducol & Camille – Emilia Perez
Cristobal Tapia de Veer – Baby Girl
Daniel Blumberg – The Brutalist
Danny Elfman – Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Hans Zimmer – Lightning
Harry Gregson-Williams – Gladiator II
John Cardon Debney – Horizon: An American Saga, Chapter 1
Kris Bowers – The Wild Robot
Robin Carolan – Nosferatu
Tamar-kali – The fire within
Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross – Challengers
Volker Bertelmann – Conclave
John Powell and Stephen Schwartz – Evil