5 Things That Are 'Awesome' About Being an Oscar Nominee
Composer Shawn Patterson gets first Oscar nom for "Everything Is Awesome."
— -- For composer Shawn Patterson, earning his first Oscar nomination for "The Lego Movie" song "Everything Is Awesome" is, well, pretty awesome.
"It's the most flattering, most humbling feeling you can imagine," the 49-year-old composer, who came to Hollywood 25 years ago with a couple guitars and $400 in his pocket, told ABC News. "For so long, my face has been at the piano, working, trying to be a father to three young kids and be in this grind of the television and film industry. It feels like a nice pause in the grind."
That Patterson has managed to sustain a 25-year career in the industry without an agent or manager is equally impressive.
"People that I worked for -- I was constantly handing out my CDs and demos -- they would hire me here and there and recommend me," he said about how he has managed himself. "Just word of mouth."
In fact, it was one of those contacts from the animated series "Robot Chicken," director Chris McKay, who brought Patterson on board "The Lego Movie."
McKay, who was responsible for assembling major parts of the film, called on Patterson for help on a song. The filmmakers had the title, "Everything Is Awesome," but they needed an original composition to fit the narrative and tone of the film.
The gig came at a challenging time for Patterson, who was in the midst of an unexpected, devastating divorce from his wife, the mother of his three children.
"I went from being married with three kids to suddenly single with three young children," he said. "I was always a very hands-on father. All of a sudden, all that responsibility was on me while trying to work."
So Patterson poured his pain into his work, writing the song over a week and half, hiring a vocalist to sing it and doing the rapping himself for the demo. (Tegan & Sara will join with The Lonely Island to perform the song for Sunday night's Oscar telecast.)
"A lot of sarcasm and irony went in the song," he said. "It's an interesting blend of balancing a dark period with something that's supposed to be infections and fun and upbeat."
There was no downside to getting the Oscar nomination, though.
Patterson was up with his mom at 4:30 a.m., watching on his TV and laptop as the nominations for best song were announced.
"I literally just shook my head," he said. "In a way, it was very anti-climactic but surreal. Then immediately, my phone started exploding."
Since then, the news has been slowly sinking in, giving Patterson a chance to list the five most awesome things about getting a Oscar nomination:
1. Free Shoeshines
"Wherever I go people just stop me and say, 'Sir, we want to shine your shoes.'"
2. Never Waiting on Dinner Reservations
"They just say, 'Come on in, sit down.'"
3. Makes Other Award Shows Feel Bad for Misspelling My Name
It's Shawn, not Sean, Patterson.
4. No More Body Searches at the Airport
"I just go right through. They say, 'Sir, come on through; we love you; it’s great.'"
5. Being Recognized by the Academy
"In all seriousness, being recognized by the Academy is literally the greatest professional feeling of accomplishment that I could ever have. I grew up watching the Academy Awards. John Williams was one of my heroes, the Sherman brothers, Jerry Goldsmith, so many composers. And to even be listed on the same stationery is pretty spectacular for me."
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