“Husavik” — the song that provides the emotional climax of the Netflix hit Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga — is easily among our favourite songs of the past year. So we, like so many of you, were thrilled to see it among the 15 songs shortlisted for the Academy Award for Best Original Song. Now, as members of the academy decide which five songs will land an actual nomination, the townspeople of the real-life Húsavík have launched a campaign to get them closer to that Oscar.

As they detail on their official campaign web site, Óskar for Húsavík is a project “by the people of Húsavík, with help from the Húsavík Theater CompanySahara and Íslandsstofa“.

“The project is in no way affiliated with Netflix or the writers of the film Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga.”

Húsavík launches Oscar campaign video

A letter from Húsavík

The following is a letter from organisers explaining why the Academy Award nomination is so important to them.

Home to 2,300 people (other than us) and around 70,000 puffins, Húsavík is located at the edge of the Arctic Circle, by the Skjálfandi Bay.

Since the Vikings settled here over a thousand years ago, the income of our town has been based on fishing and farming. In the last 25 years though, tourism became our number one activity.

People travel here from all over the world to see the famous whales of Skjálfandi, the magnificent Northern lights and the majestic waterfalls.

Like all the places basing most of their income on tourism, Húsavík has been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic, but the arrival of a Netflix film that sings (literally) the beauties of the town has lifted the spirit of the people of Húsavík.

Especially the eponymous song, which has almost become a local anthem and which could soon receive a nomination for the most known awards in the world, giving us hope that this unexpected series of events could help revitalize the town.

All of this because of a film. It makes sense, after all. A film tells a story, and Iceland has a rich history of storytelling, dating back to the medieval sagas heritage.

This beautiful island continues to inspire writers and musicians, artists and authors from all around the world, who find here a temporary or permanent home. Cinema itself is a growing business in our country, with the Icelandic composer Hildur Guðnadóttir winning an Academy Award in 2019.

It would be a huge pride for the town of Húsavík to be part, through a song which bears its name, launched by a film which glorifies the power of music, of the biggest event celebrating the history and the value of filmmaking, and hence of modern storytelling.

Húsavík, March 1, 2021

Leonardo, Rafnar Orri and Örlygur Hnefill

Academy Awards 2021 – Best Original Song shortlist

“Husavik” is the 11 o’clock number from Will Ferrell’s Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga. The song is a touching piano ballad about the Icelandic hometown of Rachel McAdams’ character. It features lead vocals from My Marianne — also known as Melodifestivalen star Molly Sandén — as McAdams sings her lyrics on-stage. (She actually sang them, rather than miming, during filming so it would look more realistic in the film). “Husavik” proved extremely popular with fans, reaching the top ten of the worldwide iTunes song chart.

The song is now among the 15 on the shortlist for the Oscar for Best Original Song.

  • “Turntables” from All In: The Fight for Democracy
  • “See What You’ve Done” from Belly of the Beast
  • “Wuhan Flu” from Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
  • “Husavik” from Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga
  • “Never Break” from Giving Voice
  • “Make It Work” from Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey
  • “Fight For You” from Judas and the Black Messiah
  • “Io Sì (Seen)” from The Life Ahead (La Vita Davanti a Se)
  • “Rain Song” from Minari
  • “Show Me Your Soul” from Mr. Soul!
  • “Loyal Brave True” from Mulan
  • “Free” from The One and Only Ivan
  • “Speak Now” from One Night in Miami…
  • “Green” from “Sound of Metal”
  • “Hear My Voice” from “The Trial of the Chicago 7”

What do you think about the town’s campaign to secure an Oscar nomination? Let us know in the comments box below!

15 Comments
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Azaad
Azaad
3 years ago

Leslie Odom Jr or Diane Warren will win the Oscar for best original song…appreciate the effort though

Alex
Alex
3 years ago
  • I don’t think Husavik will get a nomination unfortunately. It wasn;t even nominated for a Golden Globe. 🙁
canada_piano
canada_piano
3 years ago
Reply to  Alex

the golden globes have got it wrong a lot of times in my opinion

xelx
xelx
3 years ago
Reply to  canada_piano

That’s right, last year the Taylor Swift song for Cats and the Beyoncé song for The Lion King were nominated for the Golden Globe and missed the Oscar nom, for example.

cesarminogue
cesarminogue
3 years ago
Reply to  xelx

Indeed, and the Burlesque song that won the Golden Globe in its year, did not even get an Oscar nomination.

Briekimchi
Briekimchi
3 years ago

Honestly, Mulan aside, I didn’t watch any of those films last year. Can anyone tell me, in a non-partisan way, what are the realistic contenders for the award that Husavik would need to beat out?

Skiwalko
Skiwalko
3 years ago
Reply to  Briekimchi

If the nominations for the Golden Globe Awards are any indication, the ones to beat would be “Fight For You”, “Hear My Voice”, “Io Si (Seen)” and “Speak Now” (many predict that “Turntables” and “See What You’ve Done” might have a shot as well). Personally, I think “Fight For You”, “Rain Song” and “Green” are the best songs on the shortlist, it’d be also fun to watch “Wuhan Flu” being performed on the Oscars night, but that ain’t happening.

Jimmy Smit
Jimmy Smit
3 years ago
Reply to  Briekimchi

I’d say Husavik has a good chance of being nominated but an outside chance of winning. Leslie Odom Jr (Speak Now) is the only true lock for a nomination in the category this year, for One Night in Miami… The song and his vocal are really beautiful. I would say Judas and the Black Messiah is also pretty much locked in. “Speak Now” from One Night in Miami… “Fight For You” from Judas and the Black Messiah The last three spots are more open, likely going to one of these four: “Io Sì (Seen)” from The Life Ahead (La Vita… Read more »

Last edited 3 years ago by Jimmy Smit
Briekimchi
Briekimchi
3 years ago
Reply to  Jimmy Smit

Thanks for the summary. I gave a few of them a listen and my 12 points would definitely go to “Speak Now”. Wow. What a song that is. I can only imagine that when given context by the film that it is even more impressive!

CarlosM
CarlosM
3 years ago

Cute, but I don’t think the Academy is going to pay attention. The other songs were in films about serious events. The Academy rarely awards it to songs from comedy films. The last song from a comedy that won was MAN OR MUPPET. (Yes, COCO was comedic, but FIRE SAGA had much more comedy in it than COCO.)

Last edited 3 years ago by CarlosM
Briekimchi
Briekimchi
3 years ago
Reply to  CarlosM

The Muppet song was so good. Not as good as the Coco song but still, underratingly good.

Jimmy Smit
Jimmy Smit
3 years ago
Reply to  CarlosM

I like to think this category is less about the seriousness of the film and more about the effectiveness of the song for the purpose of the film.

Remember Me works so beautifully at the end of Coco with the emotional and poignant moment between Miguel and his grandmother.

Nancy G
Nancy G
3 years ago
Reply to  Jimmy Smit

EXACTLY THIS! It’s about how the song contributes to the movie. It really does sort of pull it all together plot-wise, but also is just really emotional and performed brilliantly.

Jimmy Smit
Jimmy Smit
3 years ago

So wonderful, I watched it twice. It’s a very sweet, warm and funny little video—hopefully it reaches at least a few of the Academy voters and strikes a chord. It’s touching how the townspeople have taken Eurovision so closely to their hearts 🙂

elena
elena
3 years ago

Is there already a campaign for the play ja ja ding dong man to give the points from iceland???