New York Daily News

Beyoncé has 28 Grammys, and now gets a shot at 1st Oscar for song in ‘King Richard’

- BY KARU F. DANIELS

The Beyhive has good reason to be all abuzz.

Beyoncé has been nominated for her first Academy Award.

The 28-time Grammy Award-winning superstar scored an Oscar nod in the best original song category for “Be Alive,” the inspiratio­nal ballad from “King Richard.”

The song, co-written with Dixson, plays during the film’s closing credits accompanie­d by archival footage of the biopic’s subject Richard Williams, the father of tennis greats Venus and Serena Williams.

Beyoncé, among about a dozen Black nominees for the 94th Annual Academy Awards, is no stranger to the Academy; the chart-topping diva brought her star power to the red carpet on a few occasions and also to the stage though the years.

In 2005, the former Destiny’s Child frontwoman was tapped to sing three of the numbers nominated for best original song even though she wasn’t the singer who recorded them.

She sang “Vois Sur Ton Chemin” from the French film “Les Choristes,” “Learn to Be Lonely” from “Phantom of the Opera” and joined Josh Groban for a duet of “Believe” from “The Polar Express.”

Beyoncé would go on to perform at the Oscars two more times: In 2007, she joined her “Dreamgirls” costars Jennifer Hudson, Anika Noni Rose and Keith Robinson for a medley of the movies three nominated numbers “Listen,” “Love You I Do” and “Patience”; in 2009, she joined host Hugh Jackman for an epic parade of movie musical hits.

To take home her first trophy this year, Beyoncé faces stiff competitio­n: “Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda was nominated for “Dos Oruguitas” from Disney’s animated musical “Encanto.”

Other nominees in the best original song category are Billie Eilish and Finneas, for the James Bond song “No Time to Die,” Van Morrison for “Down to Joy” from “Belfast,” and “Somehow You Do” from “Four Good Days,” written by Diane Warren — who landed her 13th nomination and is seeking her first win.

The 94th Academy Awards airs March 27 on ABC.

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