The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are considered the crème de la crème of cinematic achievement. Hosted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the nominations and winners are voted on by members of the academy, all of whom are professionals in the film industry. Which means winning an Oscar is both recognition from one’s peers, and from established veterans of the business. 

Of the many award categories, Best Original Song stands out as the one place where the film industry pays its respects to the music industry. An acknowledgment that a well-written (and well-placed) song adds to the film-watching experience. It may highlight the best song in a musical, or a song written for the film that perfectly elevates a scene or captures the spirit of the story. These inspired songs sometimes even go on to be global musical hits on their own. Does “My Heart Will Go On” ring any bells?

There are plenty of films on Netflix featuring Oscar-nominated songs — with some winners! — that you can stream to see (and hear) for yourself just how powerful the partnership between film and music can be.

American Symphony

“It Never Went Away” – written by Jon Batiste and Dan Wilson.

This documentary focuses on a year in the life of musician and composer Jon Batiste, and he wrote and recorded this highly personal song, which was nominated for the 2024 Academy Awards. The film shows Batiste’s time writing the American Symphony, a work in multiple movements, while also supporting his partner, Suleika Jaouad, whose cancer returned after a long remission. 

American Symphony

1h 43m   PG-13   2023

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The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

“When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs for Wings” – written by David Rawlings and Gillian Welch.

Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, this film is a Western anthology comprising six darkly comic short stories set across the American frontier. In the opening vignette, the titular character Buster Scruggs (Tim Blake Nelson) finds himself on the unfortunate side of a gun duel, after which he and The Kid (Willie Watson) sing this soulful tune about the fate of cowboys. The song was nominated for the 2019 Academy Awards.

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

2h 13m   R   2018

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EMILIA PÉREZ

“El Mal” and “Mi Camino” – written by Clément Ducol and Camille.

This multi-nominated film from 2024 stars Zoe Saldaña as an attorney, Rita, hired by a cartel boss, Emilia (Karla Sofía Gascón), to help obtain gender-affirming surgery and fake her own death. Years later, they reconnect, and in “El Mal,” Rita sings around a crowd of corrupt community leaders who all play a part in the dark things happening in the country. Selena Gomez plays Emilia’s former wife, who believes her once-husband is dead, and sings “Mi Camino” at a pivotal time of finally finding new happiness in her life. “El Mal” won the Oscar, and Zoe Saldaña took home the award for Best Supporting Actress.

EMILIA PÉREZ

2h 12m   R   2024

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Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga

“Husavik” – written by Savan Kotecha, Fat Max Gsus, and Rickard Göransson.

Lars Erickssong (Will Ferrell) and Sigrit Ericksdóttir (Rachel McAdams), two friends from a small Icelandic town, get the chance to compete at the famed Eurovision contest. The song is a last-second change in their final performance at the competition, and a meaningful ballad to their hometown. It was nominated for the 2021 Academy Awards.

Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga

2h 3m   PG-13   2020

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KPop Demon Hunters

“Golden” – written by EJAE, Mark Sonnenblick, Joong Gyu Kwak, Yu Han Lee, Hee Dong Nam, Jeong Hoon Seo, and Teddy Park.

It was the song of 2025 and the standout single from Netflix’s Most Popular English film of all time. Plus, it’s won a number of awards. The animated film follows a K-pop girl group composed of Rumi (Arden Cho), Mira (May Hong), and Zoey (Ji-young Yoo), who use their global platform to carry out a secret mission as demon hunters to protect the world from supernatural threats. The song is among the multiple nominations Netflix received for the 2026 Academy Awards. “Golden” won the Oscar for Best Original Song, and the movie took home Best Animated Feature.

KPop Demon Hunters

1h 39m   PG   2025

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The Life Ahead

“Io sì (Seen)” – written by Diane Warren, Laura Pausini, and Niccolò Agliardi.

This song holds the distinction of being the first Oscar-nominated song sung entirely in Italian when it was performed at the 93rd Academy Awards. The 2020 film stars Sophia Loren as an ex-prostitute and holocaust survivor who takes in children who’d otherwise land on the street. She takes in Momo (Ibrahima Gueye), an immigrant from Senegal, and they form a friendship of tough love and understanding.

The Life Ahead

1h 35m   PG-13   2020

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Mudbound

“Mighty River” – written by Mary J. Blige, Taura Stinson, and Raphael Saadiq.

The tale of two sons — one white, one black — who return home to rural Mississippi after World War II only to find new kinds of battles to fight, including those of racism and PTSD. Nominated for the 2018 Academy Awards, Mary J. Blige was also nominated for her role as Florence Jackson, making her the first person to be up for both an acting and a musical award in the same year. 

Mudbound

2h 15m   R   2017

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RRR (Hindi)

“Naatu Naatu” – written by M. M. Keeravani and Chandrabose.

A three-hour epic period film chronicling fictionalized versions of Indian revolutionaries Komaram Bheem (N. T. Rama Rao Jr.) and Alluri Sitarama Raju (Ram Charan), RRR is a musical spectacle, and this song is its elaborate standout scene. At the 95th Academy Awards in 2023, the energetic song was performed to acclaim and won the award, making it the first Asian (or Indian) film to win in the category. 

RRR (Hindi)

3h 5m   TV-MA   2022

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The Six Triple Eight

“The Journey” – written by Diane Warren.

In this film, Kerry Washington plays the leader of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion. They were not only the only Women’s Army Corps unit of color to serve in Europe during World War II, but also managed to sort through the monumental mail crisis that was keeping soldiers and their families back home from communicating with one another. The song was nominated at the 97th Academy Awards.

The Six Triple Eight

2h 9m   PG-13   2024

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Train Dreams

“Train Dreams” – written by Nick Cave and Bryce Dessner.

Nominated for the 2026 Academy Awards, this song fits the understated but sweeping nature of the film it’s featured in. Train Dreams stars Joel Edgerton as Robert Granier, a man living in the Pacific Northwest at the turn of the 20th century, and chronicles his life as a logger, a husband, and a father during a time of sharp change.

Train Dreams

1h 43m   PG-13   2025

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The Trial of the Chicago 7

“Hear My Voice” – written by Celeste and Daniel Pemberton. 

Nominated for the 2021 Academy Awards, this song was featured in a film based on real events. A group of anti–Vietnam War protesters was charged with conspiracy and crossing state lines with the intention of inciting riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The ensuing trial was not just for the seven protesters but also a public spectacle that represented all Americans’ right to free speech, making the song's title all the more poignant.

The Trial of the Chicago 7

2h 10m   R   2020

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