Minnesota native Dan Wilson, of Semisonic, nominated for Oscar for best song
MINNEAPOLIS — Musician Dan Wilson, most widely known as the frontman of the Minneapolis-based band Semisonic, got a welcome wake-up call Tuesday morning.
Wilson's song "It Never Went Away," co-written with Jon Batiste for the documentary "American Symphony," was among the five movie songs nominated for an Academy Award.
"So many magical things have happened since I met and collaborated with @jonbatiste. But this one is the biggest surprise yet," Wilson said on Instagram. "Holy buckets!"
RELATED: Minnesota's History Of Oscar Winners
Wilson's song is up against some formidable competition, including two songs from "Barbie," one of which was written by Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell, and the other of which was the production number "I'm Just Ken."
The other nominees include perennial Diane Warren, this time nominated for her song from "Flamin' Hot" ("The Fire Inside"), and Scott George's "Killers of the Flower Moon" contribution, "Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People)."
"This is awesome, Dan," Electric Fetus's Instagram account commented on the post. "Congrats to you and @jonbatiste!"
If he wins, Wilson will join fellow Minnesota natives Prince and Bob Dylan as Oscar winners. The former won an Oscar for his song score to "Purple Rain," and the latter won best song for "Things Have Changed," from the 2000 film "Wonder Boys."
And, of course, there's also the Oscars that were won by actors Judy Garland and Jessica Lange, along with the string of Academy Awards won by writer-directors Ethan and Joel Coen for "Fargo" and "No Country for Old Men." Click here to see some other Oscar winners with Minnesota ties.
