The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has clarified its move to rescind the best original song Oscar nomination for ‘Alone Yet Not Alone’, saying that songwriter Bruce Broughton improperly lobbied at least 70 music branch members.
Since the decision was announced, there has been lashback regarding the true intent of the Academy’s decision to cancel the nod for the song from the controversial yet-to-be-released film.
“The Board of Governors’ decision to rescind the Original Song nomination for Alone Yet Not Alone , music by Bruce Broughton, was made thoughtfully and after careful consideration. The Academy takes very seriously anything that undermines the integrity of the Oscars voting process. The Board regretfully concluded that Mr Broughton’s actions did precisely that,” the Academy said in a statement.
The decision to disqualify the little-heard song from a little-seen film of the same name came almost two weeks after it received a surprise nomination, along with four others, over 70 other long-listed tunes.
“The nominating process for Original Song is intended to be anonymous, with each eligible song listed only by title and the name of the film in which it is used-the idea being to prevent favouritism and promote unbiased voting.... The Academy wants members to vote for nominees based solely on the achievement of a particular song in a movie, without regard to who may have written it,” the statement further said.
The Academy said that songwriter Broughton, a former Academy Governor and current member of the Music Branch’s executive committee, flouted rules.
“Mr Broughton sent an email to at least 70 of his fellow Music Branch members-nearly one-third of the branch’s 240 members. When he identified the song and asked voting branch members to listen to it, he took advantage of information that few other potential nominees are privy to. Mr Broughton should have been more cautious about acting in a way that made it appear as if he were taking advantage of his position to exert undue influence.
“The Academy is dedicated to doing everything it can to ensure a level playing field for all potential Oscar contenders-including those who don’t enjoy the access, knowledge, and influence of a long-standing Academy insider.”
The other nominees in the category are Despicable Me 2 , Frozen , Her and Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
