Composer M.M. Keeravani and lyricist Chandrabose took home the Oscar for Best Original Song at the 2023 Oscars, winning for "Naatu Naatu" from RRR.
"Naatu Naatu" beat out nominees "Applause" from Tell It like a Woman (Diane Warren), "Hold My Hand" from Top Gun: Maverick (Lady Gaga, BloodPop), "Lift Me Up" from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Tems, Rihanna, Ryan Coogler and Ludwig Göransson), and "This Is A Life" from Everything Everywhere All at Once (Ryan Lott, David Byrne, Mitski).
The win follows the electrifying performance of the RRR tune, where singers Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava brought deep Tollywood energy to the 2023 Oscars.
GRAMMY winners have previously struck gold in this field. Billie Eilish, FINNEAS, and Adele won for their respective haunting James Bond themes in recent years, and Lady Gaga earned an Academy Award for "Shallow" from A Star Is Born alongside a nomination for Best Actress. Among others, H.E.R. and D'Mile won for "Fight for You" (Judas and the Black Messiah), and John Legend and Common won for "Glory" (Selma).
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