We don’t talk about Bruno not being nominated for an Oscar – no, no, no. The smash-hit track from Disney‘s Encanto is the first Disney song to go to number one on the charts in almost 30 years. However, in what many consider a surprising and confusing move, ‘We Don’t Talk About Bruno’ is not the song that was submitted for Oscar consideration. It is ‘Dos Oruguitas’ that has woken up with a nomination this fine morning.
The studio submitted the emotional Spanish ballad performed by Sebastián Yatra, for awards consideration. Should it go on to win the Oscar, it would make history as Disney’s first non-English-language winner.
“Dos Oruguitas was so central to the emotional theme of the movie,” director Byron Howard said when asked by the New York Times if they had considered submitting Bruno. He added, “It’s probably the most critical bit of musical storytelling in the whole film because it has to do with the history of the family and Mirabel understanding her grandmother.”
In fact, betting on Bruno would have been a bold strategic departure. You’d need to look as far back as ‘Under the Sea’ from The Little Mermaid (1989) to find a Disney Oscar winner that is similarly upbeat and quirky. Since then, when the studio has won Oscars for Best Original Song, it has overwhelmingly been for ballads – including ‘A Whole New World’ (Aladdin), ‘Can You Feel the Love Tonight’ (The Lion King) and ‘Let It Go’ (Frozen).
Besides, multiple submissions could have risked the possibility of splitting votes, and Lin-Manuel Miranda lacks only an Oscar to achieve the rare career EGOT. This wouldn’t be his first nomination – his Moana track, ‘How Far I’ll Go’, lost to ‘City of Stars’ from La La Land. So, although Bruno won’t be emerging from behind the walls to accept an Oscar on March 27, hopefully Miranda will still be carrying home a little gold man.
If you’re an fan of Encanto, check out our guide to the best Disney movies.