Rihanna can now add Oscar nominee to her list of accomplishments.
The pop icon received her first Academy Award nomination for “Lift Me Up,” from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Tems, Ludwig Göransson, and Wakanda Forever director Ryan Coogler co-wrote the emotional ballad, which has been nominated for Best Original Song at the 2023 Academy Awards.
Rihanna will face Lady Gaga’s “Hold My Hand” from Top Gun: Maverick and Diane Warren’s “Applause” from Tell It Like a Woman in the competition. “This Is a Life” by Everything Everywhere All at Once and “Naatu Naatu” by RRR are among the other nominees.
This year's Original Song nominees are music to our ears. #Oscars #Oscars95 pic.twitter.com/peKQmFD9Uh
— The Academy (@TheAcademy) January 24, 2023
Rihanna previously received a Golden Globe nomination for Original Song, but lost to “Naatu Naatu.”
The song “Lift Me Up,” which appears in the sequel to Marvel’s 2018 superhero blockbuster, is a tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman. Rihanna recorded it, along with “Born Again,” for the Wakanda Forever soundtrack.
Wakanda Forever was nominated for five Oscars, including Best Supporting Actress for Angela Bassett, Visual Effects, Costume Designer, and Makeup and Hair Styling.
The announcement comes as Rihanna prepares to return to the stage. On February 12, she will perform at the Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show in Glendale, Arizona.
The 95th Academy Awards, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, will air on ABC on Sunday, March 12.
