BY MELISSA RUGGIERI/AJC Music Scene
It would have been unfathomable 20 years ago that two of the guys involved in the pop song “Tearin’ Up My Heart” would one day be nominated for an Academy Award.
But that's exactly how life has unfolded for long-ago 'N Sync member Justin Timberlake and hit machine writer Max Martin.
Both, along with Swedish producer Karl Johan Schuster (known professionally as Shellback), are nominated for Best Original Song for last year's fizzy hit "Can't Stop the Feeling" from the animated "Trolls" movie. The song was the best-selling one of 2016 in the U.S. with nearly 2.5 million copies sold and will also vie for a Grammy Award next month in the Best Song Written for Visual Media category.
The unstoppable Lin-Manuel Miranda will try to take another step toward EGOT achievement with "How Far I'll Go," his contribution to the animated movie "Moana." Miranda already owns a basketful of Tony and Grammy Awards (as well as a Pulitzer Prize) for his groundbreaking hits "In the Heights" and "Hamilton."
The record-tying 14 nods for "La La Land" include a pair in this category – "Audition (The Fools Who Dream)" and "City of Stars." Both feature music by Justin Hurwitz and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. These, along with an Original Score nod for Hurwitz are the first three Oscar nominations in the young composer's career.
And Sting, along with composer/producer/songwriter J. Ralph will compete in the category with "The Empty Chair" from the documentary "Jim: The James Foley Story." This is the third nomination for Ralph, who was under consideration for music from 2015's "Racing Extinction" and 2012's "Chasing Ice" and the fourth Oscar nod for Sting, whose last appearance in the category came in 2003 with music from "Cold Mountain."
The Academy Awards, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, will air at 8:30 p.m. on ABC.
For the full list of nominees, visit www.oscar.go.com .
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