Oscar 2013 Original Song Nominees to Include Country Stars?
Nicole Kidman may be the actress in the family, but it looks like her husband, Keith Urban, could be nominated for an Oscar in 2013. He's in great company, as Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris are also contenders. According to The Hollywood Reporter, each performed songs that qualify for the 85th Academy Awards' Original Song category.
Keith's "For You" was recorded for the "Act of Valor" soundtrack, while Dolly wrote and sang "From Here to the Moon and Back" for the film "Joyful Noise," in which she co-starred with Queen Latifah. Emmylou appears on the Bootleggers' "Cosmonaut" from the movie, "Lawless." Other eligible tunes include Adele's "Skyfall," the title track from the most recent Bond film, Katy Perry's "Wide Awake," from her 3D concert movie, Mumford & Sons' "Learn Me Right" with Birdy from "Brave" and Arcade Fire's "Abraham's Daughter" from "The Hunger Games."
Dolly penned her pick about a fictional character, but based it off her experiences with her real-life love. "When I wrote 'From Here to the Moon and Back,' I needed to write a beautiful love song," she told The Boot. "I picked my husband, who I love, and I thought, 'Well, I'll write some beautiful song about him.' It was about my husband in the movie, played by Kris Kristofferson, so I thought in order to make it really real and really touching, I would write it about my real, true emotions about someone I really do love and have loved for more than half of my life."
Keith wrote "For You" because he was inspired by the film and the heroes it portrays. "After seeing Act of Valor, my co-writer [Monty Powell] and I wanted to capture the essence of not only what these men and women do so extraordinarily, but how that relates to all of us," Keith explains. "Valor shows us what they are willing to give their all for, which made me wonder, 'What am I willing to give my life for?' 'For You' is intended to allow the listener to define who that is for them."
Nominees will announced Jan. 10, while the 2013 Oscars will air live from Hollywood on ABC Feb. 24.
See the full list of eligible Oscar songs here.
Watch Keith's 'For You' Video