What were Billie Eilish and Finneas O91ƵConnell made for? Winning awards, apparently. The sibling duo91Ƶs 91ƵBarbie91Ƶ blockbuster ballad 91ƵWhat Was I Made For?91Ƶ won for best original song on Sunday night.
In doing so, Eilish, 22, has become the two career Oscars.
That beats a very old record set by Luise Rainer, who won her second best actress Oscar at 28 in 1938.
The second youngest is now Eilish91Ƶs 26-year-old brother and co-writer Finneas. The pair won their first Oscar for 91ƵNo Time to Die91Ƶ in 2021.
Hilary Swank and Jodie Foster 91Ƶ a best supporting actor nominee this year 91Ƶ are the only others to win two before 30.
91ƵThank you so much to the Academy. I feel like, I just didn91Ƶt think this would happen,91Ƶ Eilish started her speech. 91ƵI91Ƶm so grateful for this song and for this movie and the way that it made me feel. And this goes out to everyone who was affected by the movie and how incredible it is. And I want to thank my team and my parents. I love you guys so much.91Ƶ
She continued, 91ƵI want to thank my best friend Zoe for playing Barbies with me growing up, and being by my side forever,91Ƶ and was met with laughs from the audience. 91ƵI want to thank my, like, dance teachers growing up. I want to thank my choir teachers. Miss Brigham, thanks for believing in me. Mrs. T, you didn91Ƶt like me, but you were good at your job.91Ƶ
Eilish and Finneas beat out another 91ƵBarbie91Ƶ cut, 91ƵI91Ƶm Just Ken,91Ƶ as performed by Ryan Gosling and written by Mark Ronson and his creative partner Andrew Wyatt. Jon Batiste and Dan Wilson91Ƶs 91ƵIt Never Went Away91Ƶ from 91ƵAmerican Symphony,91Ƶ Diane Warren91Ƶs 91ƵThe Fire Inside91Ƶ from 91ƵFlamin91Ƶ Hot91Ƶ and Scott George91Ƶs 91ƵWahzhazhe (A Song For My People)91Ƶ from 91ƵKillers of the Flower Moon91Ƶ rounded out the category.
Eilish and O91ƵConnell are . In fact, they91Ƶre now two for two. Previously, they for their James Bond theme 91ƵNo Time to Die91Ƶ in 2021. That year, they beat out some impressive names, including Beyoncé, Van Morrison, Lin-Manuel Miranda and once again, Warren.
In the months leading up to the Academy Awards, 91ƵWhat Was I Made For?91Ƶ has raked in numerous trophies: In 2024 alone, they91Ƶve won for best original song and Not bad for a song written about an 11.5-inch-tall plastic doll.
91ƵWhat Was I Made For?91Ƶ debuted at No. 34 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, eventually peaking at No. 14.
In the 91ƵBarbie91Ƶ film, 91ƵWhat Was I Made For?91Ƶ plays a key role 91Ƶ an instrumental version of the song pops up like a leitmotif, soundtracking introspective, existential moments for its protagonist. Eilish91Ƶs voice isn91Ƶt heard until the final scene, but at that point, the audience is well-prepared for its emotional impact.
Clearly, the duo excel at making music for movies. Before 91ƵBarbie91Ƶ and Bond, three songs they wrote made it on soundtrack, pulling heavily from the likes of (asterisk)NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys.
In another music category, won the Academy Award for original score for his work on 91ƵOppenheimer.91Ƶ It is his second Oscar and third nomination, having previously won in the category in 2019 for 91ƵBlack Panther.91Ƶ
In doing so, Göransson beat John Williams (91ƵIndiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny91Ƶ) and three first-time nominees, Jerskin Fendrix (91ƵPoor Things91Ƶ) Laura Karpman (91ƵAmerican Fiction91Ƶ) and the late Robbie Robertson (91ƵKillers of the Flower Moon91Ƶ).
91ƵOppenheimer91Ƶ is 91Ƶs own adaptation of Martin J. Sherwin and Kai Bird91Ƶs Pulitzer Prize-winning 2005 book 91ƵAmerican Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer,91Ƶ chronicling the Manhattan Project and its fallout.
91ƵChristopher Nolan, it was your idea to use violin in the score, and it allowed me to work and collaborate with my wonderful wife and acclaimed violinist Serena Göransson. We (were) recording at night and we were rushing to go home to put our kids, Apollo, Romeo, to bed. But the result of that was amazing,91Ƶ he said in his speech.
91ƵAnd to my parents up there, thank you for giving me guitars and drum machines instead of video games. Thank you,91Ƶ he concluded.
The film starring 91Ƶis poised between the shock and aftershock of the terrible revelation, as one character calls it, of a divine power,91Ƶ AP film writer Jake Coyle . Naturally, the score accomplishes something similar: Göransson composing from a first-person perspective for the first time, using his characteristic plays with rhythm and tempo to make one man91Ƶs history-altering endeavors feel larger than life.
91ƵTo be recognized on this score especially, it was a very personal score,91Ƶ Göransson told The Associated Press when the nominations were announced in January. 91ƵIt was also obviously extremely challenging to achieve these emotions and to tell the story of this complicated man91Ƶs feelings, his ambition and what he91Ƶs going through in his journey and from his perspective because the only way to do that is, I91Ƶve had to go to some to some uncomfortable places.91Ƶ
He added that 91Ƶthe way that Chris Nolan uses music in his storytelling is so unique and special and inspiring.91Ƶ
91ƵSo, give all the music awards to Nolan and his collaborators,91Ƶ he said. 91ƵI91Ƶm just very grateful to be working with him, and this is our second film together.91Ƶ
Their first film together was the 2020 time-bending thriller
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Maria Sherman, The Associated Press