On Jan. 6, the Academy will screen clips featuring each song for voting members of its Music Branch. The members will vote using a point system to determine the final nominees.
A maximum of two songs from any one film can be nominated in the category. If more than two songs from a film are in contention, the two songs with the most votes will be the nominees.
To be eligible, a song must consist of words and music, both of which are original and written specifically for the film, according to the Academy.
Their choices will be revealed Jan. 25 when the /*Oscar*/ nominations are announced at the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater. The awards ceremony is scheduled for Feb. 27 at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood.
The songs in contention for best original song are:
- "Alice" from "Alice in Wonderland"
- "Forever One Love" from "Black Tulip"
- "Freedom Song" from "Black Tulip"
- "Bound to You" from "Burlesque"
- "Welcome to Burlesque" from "Burlesque"
- "You Haven't Seen the Last of Me" from "Burlesque"
- "There's a Place for Us" from "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader"
- "Coming Home" from "Country Strong"
- "Me and Tennessee" from "Country Strong"
- "Despicable Me" from "Despicable Me"
- "Prettiest Girls" from "Despicable Me"
- "Dear Laughing Doubters" from "Dinner for Schmucks"
- "Better Days" from "Eat Pray Love"
- "If You Run" from "Going the Distance"
- "Darkness before the Dawn" from "Holy Rollers"
- "Sticks & Stones" from "How to Train Your Dragon"
- "Le Gris" from "Idiots and Angels"
- "Chanson Illusionist" from "The Illusionist"
- "Never Say Never" from "The Karate Kid"
- "To the Sky" from "Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole"
- "What If" from "Letters to Juliet"
- "Life During Wartime" from "Life During Wartime"
- "Made in Dagenham" from "Made in Dagenham"
- "Little One" from "Mother and Child"
- "Be the One" from "The Next Three Days"
- "If I Rise" from "127 Hours"
- "When You See Forever" from "The Perfect Game"
- "I Remain" from "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time"
- "Dream Big" from "Pure Country 2: The Gift"
- "How I Love You" from "Ramona and Beezus"
- "Darling I Do" from "Shrek Forever After"
- "Noka Oi" from "Six Days in Paradise"
- "This is a Low" from "Tamara Drewe"
- "I See the Light" from "Tangled"
- "Rise" from "3 Billion and Counting"
- "We Belong Together" from "Toy Story 3"
- "Eclipse: All Yours" from "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse"
- "Nothing" from "Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married Too"
- "A Better Life" from "Unbeaten"
- "Shine" from "Waiting for Superman"
- "The Reasons Why" from "Wretches & Jabberers"
