From "The Continental" in 1935 to "Falling Slowly" in 2008, the Academy Awards have recognized great achievement in film songwriting throughout the years.
Other notable songs to have won the Oscar for Best Original Song include "Over the Rainbow", "Moon River", "You Light Up My Life" and "My Heart Will Go On".
Who Won Oscars for Original Song?
| 2008 Falling Slowly ("Once") | |
| Glen Hansard; Marketa | |
| Other Nominees: Happy Working Song (Enchanted); August Rush; Enchanted; So Close (Enchanted) | |
| 2007 I Need To Wake Up ("An Inconvenient Truth") |    |
| Melissa Etheridge | |
| Other Nominees: Listen (Dreamgirls); Love You I Do (Dreamgirls); Our Town (Cars); Patience (Dreamgirls) | |
| 2006 It's Hard Out Here For A Pimp ("Hustle And Flow") | |
| Jordan Houston; Cedric Coleman; Paul Beauregard | |
| Other Nominees: In the Deep (Crash); Travelin' Through (Transamerica) | |
| 2005 Al Otro Lado Del Rio ("The Motorcycle Diaries") | |
| Jorge Drexler | |
| Other Nominees: Accidentally In Love (Shrek 2); Believe (The Polar Express); Learn To Be Lonely (The Phantom of the Opera); Look To Your Path (The Chorus) | |
| 2004 Into the West ("Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King") |  |
| Fran Walsh; Howard Shore; Annie Lennox | |
| Other Nominees: A Kiss At the End of the Rainbow (A Mighty Wind); Scarlet Tide (Cold Mountain); Belleville Rendezvous (The Triplets of Belleville); You Will Be My Ain True Love (Cold Mountain) | |
| 2003 Lose Yourself ("8 Mile") |  |
| Eminem; Jeff Bass; Luis Resto | |
| Other Nominees: Burn It Blue (Frida); Father and Daughter (Wild Thornberrys Movie); The Hands That Built America (Gangs of New York); I Move On (Chicago) | |
| 2002 If I Didn't Have You ("Monsters Inc") | |
| Randy Newman | |
| Other Nominees: May It Be (Lord of the Rings); There You'll Be (Pearl Harbor); Until (Kate & Leopold); Vanilla Sky (Vanilla Sky) | |
| 2001 Things Have Changed ("Wonder Boys") | |
| Bob Dylan | |
| Other Nominees: A Fool In Love (Meet the Parents); I've Seen It All (Dancer In the Dark); A Love Before Time (Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon); My Funny Friend and Me (Emperor's New Groove) | |
| 2000 You'll Be In My Heart ("Tarzan") | |
| Phil Collins | |
| Other Nominees: Blame Canada (South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut); Music of My Heart (Music of the Heart); Save Me (Magnolia); When She Loved Me (Toy Story 2) | |
| 1999 When You Believe ("The Prince of Egypt") | |
| Stephen Schwartz | |
| Other Nominees: I Don't Want To Miss A Thing (Armageddon); The Prayer (Quest for Camelot); A Soft Place To Fall (The Horse Whisperer); That'll Do (Babe: Pig In the City) | |
| 1998 My Heart Will Go On ("Titanic") |  |
| James Horner; Will Jennings | |
| Other Nominees: Go the Distance (Hercules); How Do I Live (Con Air); Journey To the Past (Anastasia); Miss Misery (Good Will Hunting) | |
| 1997 You Must Love Me ("Evita") | |
| Andrew Lloyd Webber; Tim Rice | |
| Other Nominees: Because You Loved Me (Up Close and Personal); For the First Time (One Fine Day); I Finally Found Someone (The Mirror Has Two Faces); That Thing You Do (That Thing You Do) | |
| 1996 Colors of the Wind ("Pocahontas") | |
| Alan Menken; Stephen Schwartz | |
| Other Nominees: Dead Man Walkin' (Dead Man Walking); Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman (Don Juan DeMarco); Moonlight (Sabrina); You've Got A Friend In Me (Toy Story) | |
| 1995 Can You Feel the Love Tonight ("The Lion King") | |
| Elton John; Tim Rice | |
| Other Nominees: Circle of Life (The Lion King); Hakuna Matata (The Lion King); Look What I Love Has Done (Junior); Make Up Your Mind (The Paper) | |
| 1994 Streets of Philadelphia ("Philadelphia") | |
| Bruce Springsteen | |
| Other Nominees: Again (Poetic Justice); The Day I Fall In Love (Beethoven's 2nd); Philadelphia (Philadelphia) | |
| 1993 A Whole New World ("Aladdin") |  |
| Alan Menken; Tim Rice | |
| Other Nominees: Beautiful Maria of My Soul (The Mambo Kings); Friend Like Me (Aladdin); I Have Nothing (The Bodyguard); Run To You (The Bodyguard) | |
| 1992 Beauty and the Beast | |
| Alan Menken; Howard Ashman | |
| Other Nominees: Be Our Guest (Beauty And the Beast); Belle (Beauty and the Beast); I Do It For You (Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves); When You're Alone (Hook) | |
| 1991 Sooner Or Later ("Dick Tracy") | |
| Stephen Sondheim | |
| Other Nominees: Blaze of Glory (Young Guns II); I'm Checkin' Out (Postcards From the Edge); Promise Me You'll Remember (The Godfather Part III); Somewhere In My Memory (Home Alone) | |
| 1990 Under the Sea ("The Little Mermaid") | |
| Alan Menken; Howard Ashman | |
| Other Nominees: After All (Chances Are); The Girl Who Used To Be Me (Shirley Valentine); I Love To See You Smile (Parenthood); Kiss the Girl (The Little Mermaid) | |
| 1989 Let the River Run ("Working Girl") | |
| Carly Simon | |
| Other Nominees: Calling You (Bagdad Cafe); Two Hearts (Buster) | |
| 1988 I've Had The Time of My Life ("Dirty Dancing") | |
| Franke Previte; John DeNicola; Donald Markowitz | |
| Other Nominees: Cry Freedom (Cry Freedom); Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now (Mannequin); Shakedown (Beverly Hills Cop II); Storybook Love (The Princess Bride) | |
| 1987 Take My Breath Away ("Top Gun") | |
| Giorgio Moroder; Tom Whitlock | |
| Other Nominees: Glory of Love (Karate Kid Part II); Life In A Looking Glass (That's Life); Mean Green Mother from Outer Space (Little Shop of Horrors); Somewhere Out There (An American Tail) | |
| 1986 Say You Say Me ("White Nights") | |
| Lionel Richie | |
| Other Nominees: Miss Celie's Blues (The Color Purple); The Power of Love (Back To the Future); Separate Lives (White Nights); Surprise Surprise (A Chorus Line) | |
| 1985 I Just Called To Say I Love You ("The Woman In Red") | |
| Stevie Wonder | |
| Other Nominees: Against All Odds (Against All Odds); Footloose (Footloose); Ghostbusters (Ghostbusters); Let's Hear It For the Boy (Footloose) | |
| 1984 Flashdance…What A Feeling ("Flashdance") | |
| Giorgio Moroder; Keith Forsey; Irene Cara | |
| Other Nominees: Maniac (Flashdance); Over You (Tender Mercies); Papa Can You Hear Me? (Yentl); The Way He Makes Me Feel (Yentl) | |
| 1983 Up Where We Belong ("An Officer And A Gentleman") |  |
| Jack Nitzsche; Buffy Sainte-Marie; Will Jennings | |
| Other Nominees: Eyes of the Tiger (Rocky III); How Do You Keep the Music Playing (Best Friends); If We Were In Love (Yes Giorgio); It Might Be You (Tootsie) | |
| 1982 Arthur's Theme ("Arthur") | |
| Burt Bacharach; Carole Bayer Sager; Christopher Cross; Peter Allen | |
| Other Nominees: Endless Love (Endless Love); The First Time It Happens (The Great Muppet Caper); For Your Eyes Only (For Your Eyes Only); One More Hour (Ragtime) | |
| 1981 Fame | |
| Michael Gore; Dean Pitchford | |
| Other Nominees: Nine to Five (Nine to Five); On the Road Again (Honeysuckle Rose); Out Here On My Own (Fame); People Alone (The Competition) | |
| 1980 It Goes Like It Goes ("Norma Rae") | |
| David Shire; Norman Gimbel | |
| Other Nominees: I'll Never Say Goodbye (The Promise); It's Easy To Say (10); The Rainbow Connection (The Muppet Movie); Through the Eyes of Love (Ice Castles) | |
| 1979 Last Dance ("Thank God It's Friday") | |
| Paul Jabara | |
| Other Nominees: Hopelessly Devoted To You (Grease); The Last Time I Felt Like This (Same Time Next Year); Ready To Take A Chance Again (Foul Play); When You're Loved (The Magic of Lassie) | |
| 1978 You Light Up My Life | |
| Joseph Brooks | |
| Other Nominees: Candle on the Water (Pete's Dragon); Nobody Does It Better (The Spy Who Loved Me); The Slipper and the Rose Waltz (The Slipper and the Rose); Someone's Waiting For You (The Rescuers) | |
| 1977 Evergreen ("A Star Is Born") |  |
| Barbra Streisand; Paul Williams | |
| Other Nominees: Ave Satani (The Omen); Come To Me (The Pink Panther Strikes Again); Gonna Fly Now (Rocky); A World That Never Was (Half A House) | |
| 1976 I'm Easy ("Nashville") | |
| Keith Carradine | |
| Other Nominees: How Lucky Can You Get (Funny Lady); Now That We're In Love (Whiffs); Richard's Window (The Other Side of the Mountain); Theme from Mahogany (Mahogany) | |
| 1975 We May Never Love Like This Again ("The Towering Inferno") | |
| Al Kasha; Joel Hirschhorn | |
| Other Nominees: Benji's Theme (Benji); Blazing Saddles (Blazing Saddles); Little Prince (The Little Prince); Wherever Love Takes Me (Gold) | |
| 1974 The Way We Were | |
| Marvin Hamlisch; Alan Bergman; Marilyn Bergman | |
| Other Nominees: All That Love Went To Waste (A Touch Of Class); Live and Let Die (Live and Let Die); Love (Robin Hood); Nice To Be Around (Cinderella Liberty) | |
| 1973 The Morning After ("The Poseidon Adventure") | |
| Al Kasha; Joel Hirschhorn | |
| Other Nominees: Ben (Ben); Come Follow Follow Me (The Little Ark); Marmalade Molasses and Honey (The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean); Strange Are the Ways of Love (The Stepmother) | |
| 1972 Theme from Shaft ("Shaft") | |
| Isaac Hayes | |
| Other Nominees: The Age of Not Believing (Bedknobs and Broomsticks); All His Children (Sometimes A Great Notion); Bless the Beasts and Children (Bless the Beasts and Children); Life Is What You Make It (Kotch) | |
| 1971 For All We Know ("Lovers and Other Strangers") | |
| Fred Karlin; Robb Royer; James Griffin | |
| Other Nominees: Pieces of Dreams (Pieces of Dreams); Thank You Very Much (Scrooge); Till Love Touches Your Life (Madron); Whistling Away the Dark (Darling Lili) | |
| 1970 Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head ("Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid") | |
| Burt Bacharach; Hal David | |
| Other Nominees: Come Saturday Morning (The Sterile Cuckoo); Jean (The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie); True Grit (True Grit); What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life (The Happy Ending) | |
| 1969 The Windmills of Your Mind ("The Thomas Crown Affair") | |
| Michel Legrand; Alan Bergman; Marilyn Bergman | |
| Other Nominees: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang); For Love of Ivy (For Love of Ivy); Funny Girl (Funny Girl); Star! (Star!) | |
| 1968 Talk To the Animals ("Doctor Dolittle") | |
| Leslie Bricusse | |
| Other Nominees: The Bare Necessities (The Jungle Book); The Eyes of Love (Banning); The Look of Love (Casino Royale); Thoroughly Modern Millie (Thoroughly Modern Millie) | |
| 1967 Born Free | |
| John Barry; Don Black | |
| Other Nominees: Alfie (Alfie); Georgy Girl (Georgy Girl); My Wishing Doll (Hawaii); A Time For Love (An American Dream) | |
| 1966 The Shadow Of Your Smile ("The Sandpiper") | |
| Johnny Mandel; Paul Francis Webster | |
| Other Nominees: The Ballad of Cat Ballou (Cat Ballou); I Will Wait For You (The Umbrellas of Cherbourg); The Sweetheart Tree (The Great Race); What's New Pussycat? (What's New Pussycat?) | |
| 1965 Chim Chim Cher-ee ("Mary Poppins") | |
| Richard M Sherman; Robert B Sherman | |
| Other Nominees: Dear Heart (Dear Heart); Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte (Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte); My Kind of Town (Robin and the 7 Hoods); Where Love Has Gone (Where Love Has Gone) | |
| 1964 Call Me Irresponsible ("Papa's Delicate Condition") | |
| James Van Heusen; Sammy Cahn | |
| Other Nominees: Charade (Charade); It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World (It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World); More (Mondo Cane); So Little Time (55 Days at Peking) | |
| 1963 Days of Wine and Roses | |
| Henry Mancini; Johnny Mercer | |
| Other Nominees: Love Song from Mutiny on the Bounty (Mutiny on the Bounty); Song from Two for the Seesaw (Two for the Seesaw); Tender Is the Night (Tender is the Night); Walk on the Wild Side (Walk on the Wild Side) | |
| 1962 Moon River ("Breakfast At Tiffany's") | |
| Henry Mancini; Johnny Mercer | |
| Other Nominees: Bachelor In Paradise (Bachelor in Paradise); Love Theme from El Cid (El Cid); Pocketful of Miracles (Pocketful of Miracles); Town Without Pity (Town Without Pity) | |
| 1961 Never On Sunday | |
| Manos Hadjidakis | |
| Other Nominees: The Facts of Life (The Facts of Life); Faraway Part of Town (Pepe); The Green Leaves of Summer (The Alamo); The Second Time Around (High Time) | |
| 1960 High Hopes ("A Hole In the Head") | |
| James Van Heusen; Sammy Cahn | |
| Other Nominees: The Best of Everything (The Best of Everything); The Five Pennies (The Five Pennies); The Hanging Tree (The Hanging Tree); Strange Are the Ways of Love (The Young Land) | |
| 1959 Gigi | |
| Frederick Loewe; Alan Jay Lerner | |
| Other Nominees: Almost In Your Arms (Houseboat); A Certain Smile (A Certain Smile); To Love and Be Loved (Some Came Running); A Very Precious Love (Marjorie Morningstar) | |
| 1958 All the Way ("The Joker Is Wild") | |
| James Van Heusen; Sammy Cahn | |
| Other Nominees: An Affair To Remember (An Affair To Remember); April Love (April Love); Tammy (Tammy and the Bachelor); Wild Is the Wind (Wild Is the Wind) | |
| 1957 Whatever Will Be Will Be ("The Man Who Knew Too Much") | |
| Jay Livingston; Ray Evans | |
| Other Nominees: Friendly Persuasion (Friendly Persuasion); Julie (Julie); True Love (High Society); Written On the Wind (Written on the Wind) | |
| 1956 Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing | |
| Sammy Fain; Paul Francis Webster | |
| Other Nominees: I'll Never Stop Loving You (Love Me Or Leave Me); Something's Gotta Give (Daddy Long Legs); Love Is The Tender Trap (The Tender Trap); Unchained Melody (Unchained) | |
| 1955 Three Coins in the Fountain ("Three Coins In the Fountain") | |
| Jule Styne; Sammy Cahn | |
| Other Nominees: Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep (White Christmas); The High and the Mighty (The High and the Mighty); Hold My Hand (Susan Slept Here); The Man That Got Away (A Star Is Born) | |
| 1954 Secret Love ("Calamity Jane") | |
| Sammy Fain; Paul Francis Webster | |
| Other Nominees: The Moon Is Blue (The Moon Is Blue); My Flaming Heart (Small Town Girl); Sadie Thompson's Song (Miss Sadie Thompson); That's Amore (The Caddy) | |
| 1953 High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darlin') ("High Noon") | |
| Dimitri Tiomkin; Ned Washington | |
| Other Nominees: Am I In Love (Son Of A Paleface); Because You're Mine (Because You're Mine); Thumbelina (Hans Christian Andersen); Zing A Little Zong (Just For You) | |
| 1952 In the Cool Cool Cool of the Evening ("Here Comes the Groom") | |
| Hoagy Carmichael; Johnny Mercer | |
| Other Nominees: A Kiss To Build A Dream On (The Strip); Never (Golden Girl); Too Lake Now (Royal Wedding); Wonder Why (Rich Young and Pretty) | |
| 1951 Mona Lisa ("Captain Carey USA") | |
| Ray Evans; Jay Livingston | |
| Other Nominees: Be My Love (The Toast of New Orleans); Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo (Cinderella); Mule Train (Singing Guns); Wilhelmina (Wabash Avenue) | |
| 1950 Baby It's Cold Outside ("Neptune's Daughter") | |
| Frank Loesser | |
| Other Nominees: It's A Great Feeling (It's A Great Feeling); Lavender Blue (So Dear To My Heart); My Foolish Heart (My Foolish Heart); Through A Long And Sleepless Night (Come To the Stable) | |
| 1949 Buttons and Bows ("The Paleface") | |
| Jay Livingston; Ray Evans | |
| Other Nominees: For Every Man There's A Woman (Casbah); It's Magic (Romance On the High Seas); This Is The Moment (That Lady In Ermine); The Woody Woodpecker Song (Wet Blanket Policy) | |
| 1948 Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah ("Song of the South") | |
| Allie Wrubel; Ray Gilbert | |
| Other Nominees: A Gal In Calico (The Time The Place and The Girl); I Wish I Didn't Love You So (The Perils of Pauline); Pass That Peace Pipe (Good News); You Do (Mother Wore Tights) | |
| 1947 On the Atchison Topeka and the Santa Fe ("The Harvey Girls") | |
| Harry Warren; Johnny Mercer | |
| Other Nominees: All Through the Day (Centennial Summer); I Can't Begin To Tell You (The Dolly Sisters); Ole Buttermilk Sky (Canyon Passage); You Keep Coming Back Like A Song (Blue Skies) | |
| 1946 It Might As Well Be Spring ("State Fair") | |
| Richard Rodgers; Oscar Hammerstein II | |
| Other Nominees: Accentuate the Positive (Here Come the Waves); Anywhere (Tonight and Every Night); Aren't You Glad You're You? (The Bells of St Mary's); The Cat and the Canary (Why Girls Leave Home); Endlessly (Earl Carroll Vanities); I Fall In Love Too Easily (Anchors A | |
| 1945 Swinging On A Star ("Going My Way") | |
| James Van Heusen; Johnny Burke | |
| Other Nominees: I Couldn't Sleep A Wink Last Night (Higher and Higher); I'll Walk Alone (Follow the Boys); I'm Making Believe (Sweet and Lowdown); Long Ago and Far Away (Cover Girl); Now I Know (Up In Arms); Remember Me To Carolina (Minstrel Man); Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) | |
| 1944 You'll Never Know ("Hello Frisco Hello") | |
| Harry Warren; Mack Gordon | |
| Other Nominees: A Change of Heart (Hit Parade of 1943); Happiness Is A Thing Called Joe (Cabin in the Sky); My Shining Hour (The Sky's the Limit); Saludos Amigos (Saludos Amigos); Say A Pray'r for the Boys Over There (Hers To Hold); That Old Black Magic (Star Spangled Rh | |
| 1943 White Christmas ("Holiday Inn") | |
| Irving Berlin | |
| Other Nominees: Always In My Heart (Always In My Heart); Dearly Beloved (You Were Never Lovelier); How About You? (Babes On Broadway); It Seems I Heard That Song Before (Youth on Parade); I've Got A Gal In Kalamazoo (Orchestra Wives); Love Is A Song (Bambi); Pennies for | |
| 1942 The Last Time I Saw Paris ("Lady Be Good") | |
| Jerome Kern; Oscar Hammerstein II | |
| Other Nominees: Baby Mine (Dumbo); Be Honest With Me (Ridin' On A Rainbow); Blues In the Night (Blues In the Night); Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B (Buck Privates); Chattanooga Choo Choo (Sun Valley Serenade); Dolores (Las Vegas Nights); Out of the Silence (All-Ame | |
| 1941 When You Wish Upon A Star ("Pinocchio") | |
| Leigh Harline; Ned Washington | |
| Other Nominees: Down Argentine Way (Down Argentine Way); I'd Know You Anywhere (You'll Find Out); It's A Blue World (Music In My Heart); Love of My Life (Second Chorus); Only Forever (Rhythm on the River); Our Love Affair (Strike Up the Band); Waltzing in the Clouds (Spr | |
| 1940 Over the Rainbow ("The Wizard of Oz") | |
| Harold Arlen; EY Harburg | |
| Other Nominees: Faithful Forever (Gulliver's Travels); I Poured My Heart Into A Song (Second Fiddle); Wishing (Love Affair) | |
| 1939 Thanks For the Memory ("The Big Broadcast of 1938") | |
| Ralph Rainger; Leo Robin | |
| Other Nominees: Always and Always (Mannequin); Change Partners (Carefree); The Cowboy and the Lady (The Cowboy and the Lady); Dust (Under Western Stars); Jeepers Creepers (Going Places); Merrily We Live (Merrily We Live); A Mist Over the Moon (The Lady Objects); My Own ( | |
| 1938 Sweet Leilani ("Waikiki Wedding") | |
| Harry Owens | |
| Other Nominees: Remember Me (Mr Dodd Takes the Air); That Old Feeling (Walter Wanger's Vogues of 1938); They Can't Take That Away From Me (Shall We Dance); Whispers in the Dark (Artists and Models) | |
| 1937 The Way You Look Tonight ("Swing Time") | |
| Jerome Kern; Dorothy Fields | |
| Other Nominees: Did I Remember (Suzy); I've Got You Under My Skin (Born To Dance); A Melody from the Sky (Trail of the Lonesome Pine); Pennies From Heaven (Pennies from Heaven); When Did You Leave Heaven (Sing Baby Sing) | |
| 1936 Lullaby of Broadway ("Gold Diggers of 1935") | |
| Harry Warren; Al Dubin | |
| Other Nominees: Cheek To Cheek (Top Hat); Lovely To Look At (Roberta) | |
| 1935 The Continental ("The Gay Divorcee") | |
| Con Conrad; Herb Magidson | |
| Other Nominees: Carioca (Flying Down To Rio); Love In Bloom (She Loves Me Not) | |
Email Dan@WhoWonWhen.com with suggestions for new lists, or to report spelling or other errors.
Every attempt is made to insure the accuracy of the above information, however accuracy is not guaranteed.
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