The nominations in the category of Best Original Song were not announced in February with the rest of the nominations, reportedly because of "a mixup in balloting". It was later reported that the academy had been considering whether Curtis Mayfield's song "Freddie's Dead" from the film Super Fly should be eligible. The song was ruled ineligible for a nomination because its lyrics were not sung in the film.
Initially, the Academy had planned to reveal the Best Original Song nominees along with the rest of the nominations in February. However, due to an error in the voting procedure, this announcement was delayed. It was later discovered that the Academy was debating whether Curtis Mayfield's "Freddie's Dead" from Super Fly should be eligible for consideration. Ultimately, the song was deemed ineligible because its lyrics were not sung in the film.