New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Multi-Platinum BMG recording artist and songwriter Lenny Kravitz has earned his first-ever Golden Globe nomination for Best Original Song for 'Road To Freedom', from the Netflix film Rustin. The first awards ceremony in the 2024 awards season honoring excellence in both American and international film and television, the 81st annual Golden Globe Awards will air live from Los Angeles on Sunday, January 7 at 8:00pm ET / 5:00pm PT on CBS and Paramount+.
The soulful track and film are based on the life of inspirational Civil Rights activist Bayard Rustin who organized the historic March on Washington in 1963 - where Martin Luther King Jr. famously gave his 'I Have A Dream' speech - calling for an end to racial discrimination in the U.S. Rustin dedicated his life to "the quest for racial equality, human rights, and worldwide democracy," but his personal life - then very much a scandal - has all but erased him from the records of the civil rights movement.
Following his nomination, Kravitz took to social media saying, "Thank you so much to Golden Globes for this honor. This remarkable film recognizes Bayard Rustin, the man behind the march, who was one of the greatest activists and organizers. Rustin wasn't recognized at the time for his major contributions as he was a black gay man. The movement he championed then is just as important today and I wrote "Road to Freedom" with this in mind. We still have so much ground to cover and work to be done. I hope people continue to be inspired by this film and song to come together in peace."
"The one note I gave him (Kravitz) was the song needed to help deliver us as an audience, from feeling to action. And trombones. I begged for trombones," said Rustin director George C. Wolfe. "'Road to Freedom' captures both 1963 and 2023; a bold celebration, as Lenny's voice sermonizes and soars."
Recently, the Grammy award winner debuted the first single, 'TK 421', ahead of his 12th full-length studio album, first release in five years, and first-ever double LP, Blue Electric Light, due for release March 15, 2024, via Roxie Records/BMG.