Grammy-winner Jazmine Sullivan has teamed up with Grammy and Oscar-winning songwriter Dernst “D’Mile’ Emile II for a possible Oscar contender for best original song. PvNew has exclusively learned the song “Stand Up,” which will be featured in Orion and United Artists Releasing’s upcoming drama “Till,” will be submitted for Academy Awards consideration. The song will be released on Oct. 7.
Written by Sullivan and D’Mile, the end-credits song captures the moving spirit of the harrowing true story of Mamie Till Mobley (Danielle Deadwyler) and her relentless pursuit of justice after her 14-year-old son Emmett Till (Jalyn Hill) is lynched in 1955.
Performed by Sullivan, who appears courtesy of RCA Records, knows the importance of bringing this story to life. “I’m honored to be able to contribute to such a powerful film about such a historic and tragic moment in American history,” Sullivan says. “I believe that part of my purpose is to give space for stories that are often ignored and silenced; the Black experience in particular. So I’m glad that the story of Emmett Till and his mother Mamie Till is being told so generations old and young can be educated and inspired to make a change. I hope that after people see this film they’ll be moved to stand up against the racism we are still facing today.”
Sullivan is fresh off winning her first two Grammys for best R&B performance (“Pick Up Your Feelings”) and best R&B album (“Heaux Tales”).
Brooklyn-born D’Mile is one of the music industry’s most successful record producers and songwriters, who became the first songwriter in Grammy history to win song of the year two consecutive years with H.E.R.’s “I Can’t Breathe” in 2021 and Silk Sonic’s “Leave the Door Open” earlier this year in 2022. He’s already in the Oscar club after winning best original song for the “Judas and the Black Messiah” (2021) track, “Fight for You,” alongside H.E.R. and Tiara Thomas. The song is one of seven Oscar winners penned by Black songwriters including Isaac Hayes, John Legend and Stevie Wonder.
The music branch of the Academy, which is compromised of just over 400 members, will vote on all of the submitted and eligible songs from Dec. 12-Dec. 15. Fifteen songs will be shortlisted on Dec. 21 before the branch votes for the five eventual nominees, which will be named when Oscar nominations are announced on Jan. 24.
Read: the latest predictions, visitPvNew’sOscars Hub.
Directed by Chinonye Chukwu, who also co-wrote the film with Michael Reilly and Keith Beauchamp, the film also stars Frankie Faison, Haley Bennett, Sean Patrick Thomas and Oscar-winner Whoopi Goldberg (“Ghost”), who also serves as one of the producers, in addition to Beauchamp, Reilly, Barbara Broccoli, Thomas Levine and Frederick Zollo.
“Till” will have its World Premiere at the New York Film Festival on Saturday, then open in theaters on Oct. 14.
Check out an exclusive new image from the film below.
