Rahul Sipligunj, Kaala Bhairava, and M.M. Keeravani Wins Best Original Song for “Naatu Naatu” at 2023 Oscars

Rahul Sipligunj, Kaala Bhairava, and M.M. Keeravani have won Best Original Song for “Naatu Naatu” from RRR at the 95th Academy Awards. It’s their first-ever Oscar win, and follows their recent Golden Globe trophy in the same category. The song got a show-stopping performance earlier in the broadcast. 

They beat out Rihanna for “Lift Me Up” (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever); Son Lux with Mitski and David Byrne for “This Is a Life” (Everything Everywhere All at Once); Sofia Carson for “Applause” (Tell It Like a Woman); and Lady Gaga for “Hold My Hand” (Top Gun: Maverick).

This year, the Academy Awards are broadcasting all 24 categories on air. This decision follows last year’s controversy when they moved eight categories out of the 2022 Oscars live broadcast. Many industry members said the move minimized the creative accomplishments of certain departments that are responsible for a movie’s success, including Original Score, Editing, and Makeup and Hairstyling.

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