Robbie Williams' song "Forbidden Road" from his biopic Better Man has been disqualified from Oscar consideration, despite initially making the shortlist of 15 finalists for Best Original Song. The track, written by Williams, Freddy Wexler, and Sacha Skarbek, had recently received a Golden Globe nomination.

The disqualification stems from the song containing material from a previous composition not written specifically for the film, which violates Academy rules. The track reportedly shares similarities with "I Got A Name," written by Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel for the 1973 film The Last American Hero. Fox serves as a member of the AMPAS Board of Governors.

The Academy's music branch, comprising over 400 members, was notified of the decision by letter after the branch executive committee discovered the similarities this week. The decision was made on December 19, and no replacement nomination will be added.

While "Forbidden Road" is no longer eligible, Better Man remains shortlisted in the Visual Effects category, notable for its portrayal of Williams as a chimpanzee. The film is among ten finalists competing for five nomination slots.

This isn't the first time a song has been disqualified after making the Oscar shortlist. A similar situation occurred in 2013 with the film Alone Yet Not Alone, when its title song was removed due to improper lobbying by its composer, resulting in only four songs competing that year.

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