Why was Robbie Williams' song from Better Man disqualified from the Oscars?

The song Forbidden Road, from Robbie Williams’ upcoming biopic Better Man, was disqualified from the 2025 Academy Awards’ Best Original Song category on December 19. The track, which had initially been shortlisted, was removed due to its similarities with an existing song. Academy rules require the songs submitted for consideration to be "original and written specifically for the motion picture."

According to Variety's December 20 report, insiders said that Forbidden Road was deemed ineligible due to the following reason:

"[It] incorporates material from an existing song that was not written for the film."

The Academy’s music branch reportedly discovered this issue earlier in the week, leading to the decision to disqualify the track on Thursday, December 19, 2024.

Forbidden Road's melody was found to have notable similarities to I Got a Name, a 1973 track written by Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel and performed by Jim Croce for the film The Last American Hero. Incidentally, Charles Fox is one of the three governors of the Academy’s music branch, raising the likelihood that the resemblance was noticed during internal reviews.

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Academy removes Robbie Williams' Forbidden Road from Best Original Song shortlist

A letter sent to the 400-plus members of the Academy’s music branch on Friday, December 20, 2024, explained the decision. As per Variety, it stated,

"This is a decision that both honors our rules and protects the special nature of the Original Song and Score categories."

The Academy’s regulations specify that the music and lyrics of eligible songs must be entirely original and written specifically for the film they are associated with.

The removal of Forbidden Road reduced the Best Original Song shortlist from 15 to 14 entries. Unlike some other categories, disqualified songs are not replaced with alternates. This means that music branch voters will choose nominees for the category from the 14 remaining songs, when voting begins on January 8, 2025.

Several notable tracks remain in contention for the Best Original Song Oscar. As per the Academy's December 17 press release, these include El Mal from Emilia Pérez, composed by Clément Ducol and Camille; Piece by Piece from Piece by Piece; Never Too Late, composed by Elton John and Brandi Carlile; Tell Me It’s You from Mufasa: The Lion King, composed by Lin-Manuel Miranda; and others.

These songs will compete for a chance to be among the final five nominees, which will be announced ahead of the 2025 Academy Awards ceremony.

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More about Better Man

Better Man, the semi-biographical film centered on Robbie Williams' life, is set for a limited release on December 25, 2024, before a wider release on January 10, 2025. The film is co-written, produced, and directed by Michael Gracey, known for his work on The Greatest Showman.

Uniquely, Robbie Williams is portrayed in the film by a computer-generated monkey, a creative decision that has garnered significant media attention.

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Currently, Robbie Williams is engaged in various creative endeavors. Back in February 2024, he announced his first solo art exhibition, titled Pride and Self-Prejudice, featuring pieces crafted by him. Additionally, Williams has expressed interest in ventures such as building hotels and investing in sports.

The upcoming film’s release is expected to draw interest from both longtime fans of Robbie Williams and general audiences intrigued by its unconventional storytelling approach.