Karen O and T Bone Burnett’s respective scores for Where The Wild Things Are and Crazy Heart were good enough for the Golden Globes, but the Academy Awards’ nonsensical music rules have struck again, disqualifying them from earning a Best Original Score Oscar. The Wrap reports that O’s and Burnett’s film scores were likely bumped by the following rule:
[S]cores diluted by the use of tracked themes or other preexisting music, diminished in impact by the predominant use of songs, or assembled from the music of more than one composer shall not be eligible.
Both musicians collaborated with other artists (Carter Burwell with O and Stephen Bruton with Burnett), plus there’s no doubt that they both employed a “predominant use of songs,” so that’s two possible infractions for the Oscar cops right there. Burnett and O do each have 2 songs still in the running for a Best Original Song nod, but the score category will be left to some of the usual suspects (check out the full list here).
Meanwhile, Brian Eno didn’t even bother giving the Academy a chance to scrutinize his The Lovely Bones score, opting instead to stay out of the running because he “didn’t have time to submit the required paperwork and submit to the type of publicity campaign necessary.”
I love that: Eno is just too busy being one of the coolest artists alive for this award show crap.