Industrial Meets Pop: Nine Inch Nails and Miley Cyrus Lead Wild Oscars 2026 Music Shortlist
The Academy has officially dropped the music shortlists for the 98th Academy Awards, and let’s be real, this year’s line-up is the ultimate mood board for a chaotic, genre-fluid 2020s. We’re talking industrial rock legends duking it out with a global pop diva—all for the little gold man. The shortlist reveals that Nine Inch Nails and Miley Cyrus are officially in the running for a coveted nomination in the Best Original Song category.
The full list of 15 potential nominees for Best Original Song and 20 for Best Original Score gives us a first, fascinating glimpse into the films and artists that might define the 2026 Oscar narrative.
The Song Battle Royale: NIN, Miley, and K-Pop’s Surprise Hit
Forget what you thought you knew about the Oscars. The Best Original Song shortlist is a genre blender on max power.
Leading the charge into this awards season’s mosh pit is Nine Inch Nails, aka Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. The duo, already Oscar veterans (and, let’s be honest, rock royalty), landed a spot for the track “As Alive As You Need Me To Be” from the highly anticipated sci-fi sequel, Tron: Ares. It’s a huge moment, marking the first time the duo has been shortlisted for a song released under the iconic Nine Inch Nails name. If that dystopian, synth-drenched energy can translate into a nomination, it’s a win for every fan who believes a rock song can sit alongside a Disney ballad.
Meanwhile, on the opposite end of the sonic spectrum, our favorite chameleon, Miley Cyrus, is also on the list for “Dream As One” from James Cameron’s epic Avatar: Fire and Ash. Co-written with collaborators like Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, this track carries the weight of a franchise titan. Given Miley’s recent chart dominance and her ability to absolutely command a stadium, she is a serious threat.
But the real wildcard—the track that screams “this is Gen Z’s world now”—is “Golden” from the animated Netflix phenomenon, KPop Demon Hunters. This unexpected earworm from Ejae, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami brings a slice of global K-Pop fever right into the heart of the famously traditional Academy. A nomination here would be proof that the Academy is finally logging onto TikTok.
The list also includes the usual heavy hitters: Ed Sheeran’s “Drive” from the action flick F1, multiple tracks from the musical Wicked: For Good (featuring both Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande), and an appearance from the legendary Nick Cave for “Train Dreams.”
Scorekeepers: The Industry Insiders
The Best Original Score shortlist is equally stacked with industry innovators, showcasing a commitment to experimental and high-art electronica.
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross pop up again, this time for the full Tron: Ares score, proving their status as Hollywood’s go-to sound architects for the cerebral and the intense. However, a name that’s generating significant buzz among the culture critics is Daniel Lopatin, better known by his experimental alias, Oneohtrix Point Never. His jarring, synth-driven score for Marty Supreme has been hailed by critics as “a second screenplay,” a testament to the power of sound design to elevate narrative.
They are joined by modern masters like Max Richter (Hamnet), Alexandre Desplat (Frankenstein), and Jonny Greenwood (One Battle after Another), cementing this as one of the most musically adventurous score shortlists in recent memory.
The final nominations for the 98th Academy Awards will be unveiled on January 2, 2026. Until then, we’ll be blasting NIN and Miley on repeat, trying to manifest the chaos. The 2026 Oscars aren’t just a ceremony; they’re a culture clash, and the music is leading the revolution.
🎧 Oscar Music Shortlist: Quick Q&A
Q: When are the 2026 Oscar nominations announced?
A: The final nominations for the 98th Academy Awards will be announced on Thursday, January 2, 2026. The full ceremony will air on March 15.
Q: Which Nine Inch Nails song is shortlisted for the Oscars?
A: Nine Inch Nails (Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross) are shortlisted for the song “As Alive As You Need Me To Be” from the Disney sci-fi film Tron: Ares. They are also shortlisted for the film’s Best Original Score.
Q: Who are the key contenders for Best Original Score on the shortlist?
A: The highly competitive Best Original Score shortlist includes Nine Inch Nails (Tron: Ares), Jonny Greenwood (One Battle after Another), Daniel Lopatin (Oneohtrix Point Never) for Marty Supreme, Max Richter (Hamnet), and Alexandre Desplat (Frankenstein).