Oscars 2014 Breaking News: Organizers Revoke ‘Alone Yet Not Alone’ Song Nomination
The 86th Academy Awards ceremony is just around the corner but before the big night arrive the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) has revoked the song nomination of "Alone Yet Not Alone."
Nominated in the Best Original Song category, "Alone Yet Not Alone" songwriter violated Oscar rules and emailed voters to consider the song. Written by musician Bruce Broughton, a former Academy governor and executive committee member, the song is composed for an independent Christian faith movie "Alone Yet Not Alone."
According to the Academy, Broughton used his position to contact voters about his own submission of the song which violated the rules on Oscar nominations campaign. Now that the song is officially out from Oscars' nomination, Broughton was reportedly "devastated" at the Academy's decision
"No matter how well-intentioned the communication, using one's position as a former governor and current executive committee member to personally promote one's own Oscar submission creates the appearance of an unfair advantage," says Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs.
"I indulged in the simplest grass roots campaign and it went against me when the song started getting attention. I got taken down by competition that had months of promotion and advertising behind them. I simply asked people to find the song and consider it," explains Broughton.
The long list of nominees for the 2014 Academy awards was announced on Jan. 16 and according to The Hollywood Reporter various contenders from the same category questioned Broughton's nomination. They are complaining how little song from an unknown movie can beat out songs by popular artists on bigger films.
The 2014 Oscar nominees for Original Song and Score category are voted for by the 240 members of the Academy's music branch. Each contenders send DVD copies of song clips with the film and song title only, according to the Academy. So voters don't have any idea of the composer or lyricist's name.
The remaining contenders in the category includes "Let It Go" from Disney's film "Frozen," "The Moon Song" from "Her," "Ordinary Love" from "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom" and "Happy" from "Despicable Me 2."