Elton John to ‘Shallow’ Songwriter Mark Ronson: ‘You’re Going to Win the Oscar’

By Margeaux Sippell

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Elton John is willing to bet that Mark Ronson will win the Oscar for Best Original Song for “Shallow” from “A Star Is Born.”  The nominations were announced this morning.

The legendary performer spoke to Ronson on the latest episode of his radio show “’s Rocket Hour” on Apple Music’s Beats 1. 

“You’re having a bit of a run at the moment. Oh my God — considering what a career you’ve had, you couldn’t have a stronger moment than what you’re having now with the Miley record, which is fantastic, and you. And then the Gaga, which you won a Golden Globe for, ‘,’” John said. “And I bet my house that you’re going to win the Oscar, so make room for it. I don’t want to jinx it, but I guarantee you you’re going to win an Oscar.”

Ronson was modest, maintaining that he had to get nominated first. As of Tuesday morning, the results are in : “Shallow” is indeed nominated for an Oscar.

Though John insists that the competition is not threat — “Hello, have you seen the competition? No, forget it,” he said — Ronson and his writing partners Lady Gaga, Anthony Rossomando, Andrew Wyatt and Benjamin Rice are up against some formidable fellow nominees. Darlings of rap and R&B Kendrick Lamar and SZA are nominated for “All The Stars” from “Black Panther,” followed by “I’ll Fight” from “RBG” by Diane Warren and Jennifer Hudson, “The Place Where Lost Things Go” from “Mary Poppins Returns” by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, and “When A Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings” from “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” by David Rawlings and Gillian Welch.