The Songwriters Hall of Fame spotlights Oscar song nominees

Online panel includes Oscar-nominated songwriters Bryce Dessner, EJAE, and more. Plus, songwriter Paul Williams reflects on his Oscar-winning tune.

When Oscar-winning songwriter Paul Williams read the script for "The Muppet Christmas Carol," the song arrived almost immediately.

"I suddenly heard it, bum bum bum bum bum bum bum bum," Williams said over Zoom before diving into the first lines: "When a cold wind blows it chills you to the bone. But there's nothing in nature that freezes your heart like years of being alone."

"I wrote the entire opening of that song without stopping, because my unconscious is where the muse likes to hang his hat," he added.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Songwriters Hall of Fame's annual program spotlighting Oscar-nominated songwriters, an initiative Williams helps lead as a longtime member of the organization. The virtual conversation, moderated by Williams and Nile Rodgers, brings together nominees for Best Original Song from the Academy Awards to discuss their writing process and how music shapes storytelling on screen. This year's panel features Oscar nominees Raphael Saadiq, Bryce Dessner, EJAE, Nicholas Pike and Diane Warren.

The conversation is available to stream free through March 16.