[Archive 2008-02-25] Song by indie artists, used in small movie, wins Oscar

Historical archive — originally published 2008-02-25. This report records what was known on that date. It is not current news; subsequent events may have changed the situation. Wikinews closed in May 2026.

One of last night's surprise wins at the 80th Academy Awards was Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová winning the Best Original Song Oscar.

The song "Falling Slowly" is from the 2006 film Once, which also co-stars Hansard and Irglová.

The favorite in the category was Enchanted, a Disney film which received nominations for "Happy Working Song", "That's How You Know", and "So Close". Also nominated was "Raise It Up" from August Rush.

Irglová was cut off by music, when stepping up to the microphone to speak. She was given a second chance to speak after the next commercial break, and was introduced onto the stage by host Jon Stewart.

For some time, the song's eligibility for an Oscar was in dispute, as it had appeared on a 2006 CD issued by Hansard's band, The Frames, and it had been performed by the couple in various European venues. The Academy ruled that because the song had been composed for the movie, and the prior public exposure during the long period that the movie took to produce had been minimal, it remained eligible.

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