Country Music and the Oscars: A Lone Star Shines Bright

Country music has struggled in the Best Song category at the Academy Awards.  In the 91 years of Oscar history, only one country song has actually taken home the coveted gold statue. Can you guess which one?

The nominees over the years have included some serious country heavyweights. Dolly Parton’s iconic “9 to 5” and Willie Nelson’s road anthem “On the Road Again” both vied for the award in 1981. Trisha Yearwood’s power ballad “How Do I Live” made a strong showing in 1998, followed by Faith Hill’s emotional “There You'll Be” in 2002. Dolly Parton returned to the Oscar race in 2006 with “Travelin' Thru,” proving her songwriting prowess knows no bounds.

Other notable nominees include Gwyneth Paltrow’s “Coming Home” (2011) and Reba McEntire’s recent nomination for "Somehow You Do" in 2022. Even the legendary Glen Campbell received a nod for "I'm Not Gonna Miss You" in 2014.

But the winner, the sole country song to capture Oscar gold, is “The Weary Kind,” sung by Jeff Bridges for the 2009 film Crazy Heart. The song, penned by T Bone Burnett and Ryan Bingham, also known to television audiences as Walker from Yellowstone, earned Bridges an Oscar for Best Actor and cemented its place in both country and cinematic history. 

So, while several country tunes have been nominated, only "The Weary Kind" can boast the title of Oscar winner.