‘Let It Be’ — the Beatles’ lone Oscar
Posted: July 2025
The Beatles received their lone Oscar nomination, and win, for “Let It Be.” It was victorious at the April 15, 1971, Academy Awards in a curious hybrid category — Best Music Original Song Score.
Other nominees included “The Baby Maker,” “Darling Lili,” “Scrooge” and “A Boy Named Charlie Brown.”
In the show’s two other musical categories, “Love Story” (Francis Lai) won Best Original Score, and Lovers and Other Strangers (Fred Karlin, Robb Royer and Jimmy Griffin) (“For All We Know”) won for Best Original Song.
“Let It Be” was directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg. The movie, after its 1970 release, was long made unavailable but reemerged recently on Disney+.
“Woodstock” was a winner not in a musical category but for Best Documentary, Features (Bob Maurice).
The ceremony occurred a year after Paul McCartney announced his split from the Beatles, which happened months after John Lennon had quietly left. The Oscar was awarded to The Beatles and all four members.
The Beatles were not present at the 1971 Oscars. Quincy Jones accepted on their behalf. “I wish that the Beatles were all here together tonight to receive this,” Jones said.
Likely intended as a celebration of the world’s most famous band at work, the idea of “Let It Be” would’ve interested any filmmaker. Unfortunately, little happened except the kind of road-weariness (although they weren’t on the road) between longtime bandmates later seen in other music feature films. Visually, George Harrison is marginalized. All the Beatles have long hair — Paul McCartney, with full beard, appears physically larger than he actually is. That, and because he is the only member tackling his newest batch of songs with enthusiasm, makes McCartney an outsized figure in “Let It Be.” The making-of production overseen by Peter Jackson is more revealing. The bandmates did work together and made jokes. But relationships were frayed. It’s agreed that while John and Paul still collaborate, it’s different than before. John casually suggests they could replace George with Eric Clapton. Despite the movie marking a beginning of the time where rock stars were gradually gaining control of operations from the suits, the Beatles in “Let It Be” are not surrounded by sycophants or yes men but serious pros; they are constantly pushed about what they are trying to achieve.
George Martin received an Oscar nomination for Best Music, Scoring of Music, Adaptation or Treatment for 1964’s “A Hard Day’s Night.” He lost to “My Fair Lady” (André Previn). Alun Owen received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay for “A Hard Day’s Night.” He lost to Father Goose (S.H. Barnett, Peter Stone, Frank Tarloff).
In the May 25, 1970, edition of the Chicago Tribune, Gene Siskel gave “Let It Be” 3 stars and noted it “may be the last public appearance of Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, the most culturally-influential musicians of this century.” Siskel writes that “the most interest” is a “minor hassle” between George Harrison and Paul McCartney. Siskel writes that McCartney and Lennon “harmonize once during the film, and it is the most electric moment in the 80 minutes.”
