Los Angeles Times, 2026

Illustration for the Los Angeles Times. This piece accompanies an article on the stories behind all five Oscar-nominated original songs:

"Train Dreams" from "Train Dreams"
"I Lied to You" from "Sinners"
"Dear Me" from "Diane Warren: Relentless"
"Golden" from "KPop Demon Hunters"
"Sweet Dreams of Joy" from "Viva Verdi!"

AD: Judy Pryor