SANTA MONICA, CA - For the 88th Academy Awards, Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) songwriters received three of the five Oscar nominations in the Original Song category.
UMPG writers DaHeala & Stephan Moccio received a nomination for "Earned It” (recorded by The Weeknd) from FIFTY SHADES OF GREY. “Earned it” is also nominated for Grammy Awards for Best R&B Song and for Best Original Song Written for Visual Media.
Just days after winning his first Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song, UMPG writer Jimmy Napes also today received an Oscar nomination for the James Bond theme, "Writing's On The Wall” (recorded by Sam Smith) from SPECTRE.
Diane Warren, considered to be one of the most prolific and successful contemporary songwriters of our time, received her eighth Oscar nomination for the song “Til It Happens To You” (recorded by Lady Gaga) from the documentary film THE HUNTING GROUND. “Till It Happens to You” is also nominated for the 20th Satellite Awards for Best Original Song, for a Grammy Award for Best Original Song Written for Visual Media, and for a Critic’s Choice Award for Best Song, among other awards. A Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee, Golden Globe and Grammy winner, Warren was the first songwriter in Billboard history to have seven hits, all by different artists, on the singles chart at the same time.
In the category of Original Score, UMPG (via Dreamworks Studios) also represents the nominated film score for Bridge of Spies by composer Thomas Newman.