Due to violations of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Science promotion rules, a Best Original Song nomination given to a former Academy governor has been rescinded.
Bruce Broughton, writer and composer of the disqualified song “Alone Yet Not Alone”, had sent emails to fellow members of the Academy’s Board of Governors informing them of his submission during the time of voting.
“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,” Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs said in a statement.
A devastated Broughton told Variety, “I indulged in the simplest, lamest, 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.”
While the move is rare, Broughton’s disqualification is not the first. In 1972 The Godfather’s Best Original Dramatic Score nomination was rescinded after it was later revealed that sections of the score had come form the composer’s previous works.
With there being no replacement nominee Academy voters will have but four nominations to choose from. The nominations being: “Happy” from Despicable Me 2, “Let It Go” from Frozen, “The Moon Song” from Her and “Ordinary Love” from Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.
The 86th Academy Awards airs live on March 2nd from Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, CA.
