"Raise It Up" is a 2007 song written by
Jamal Joseph,
Charles Mack and
Tevin Thomas for the motion picture ''
August Rush
''August Rush'' is a 2007 musical drama film directed by Kirsten Sheridan and produced by Richard Barton Lewis. The screenplay is by Nick Castle and James V. Hart, with a story by Paul Castro and Castle. A co-production between the United State ...
''. "Raise It Up" is performed in the film by
Jamia Simone Nash and
Impact Repertory Theatre, an African-American youth theatre group based in
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater Ha ...
.
[Impact Repertory Theatre website](_blank)
/ref> The song was produced by Joseph and Mack.[''August Rush'' production notes](_blank)
/ref>
In the film, August Rush (Freddie Highmore
Alfred Thomas Highmore (born 14 February 1992) is an English actor. He is known for his starring roles beginning as a child, in the films '' Finding Neverland'' (2004), '' Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'' (2005), '' August Rush'' (2007), and ...
) wanders into Harlem and is drawn to a church by the voice of a young soloist named Hope (Nash) singing this song, which inspires him. Hope ultimately brings him to the attention of her pastor, Reverend James (Mykelti Williamson
Mykelti Williamson (born March 4, 1957) is an American actor best known for his roles in the films ''Forrest Gump'', ''Con Air'' and '' Ali'', and the television shows ''Boomtown'', '' 24'', and '' Justified''. In 2016, he portrayed Gabriel Maxs ...
), who helps August further develop his talent.80th Academy Awards
The 80th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 2007. The award ceremony took place on February 24, 2008, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles. During t ...
; however, the nomination announcement originally said "Nominees to be determined". The production notes credit the song to the Impact Repertory Theatre as a whole;[80th Academy Awards, Rule 16 (music awards)](_blank)
/ref> (This was the same rule that prevented Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...
from sharing in the Oscar nomination for her 2006 song "Listen
Listen may refer to:
* The action of listening
* Central auditory system listening is how the brain processes what you hear
* Listening behaviour types in human communication
Computing
* LISTEN, a TCP connection state on the server side indi ...
" from ''Dreamgirls
''Dreamgirls'' is a Broadway musical, with music by Henry Krieger and lyrics and book by Tom Eyen. Based on the show business aspirations and successes of R&B acts such as The Supremes, The Shirelles, James Brown, Jackie Wilson, and others,G ...
'', even though she co-wrote it.) The next day, the Academy updated its list to show Joseph, Mack and Thomas as the nominees.[List of 80th Academy Awards nominees](_blank)
/ref>
On July 24, 2008, on ''The Young and the Restless
''The Young and the Restless'' (often abbreviated as ''Y&R'') is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. The show is set in fictional Genoa City (not the real-life similarly-named Genoa City, ...
'', the characters Devon Hamilton
Devon Hamilton is a fictional character from ''The Young and the Restless'', an American soap opera on the CBS network, portrayed by Bryton James. The character made his first appearance on June 1, 2004, and was introduced as a homeless teenager ...
and Ana Hamilton (played by August Rush's Nash) sang this song in the gala.
References
2007 songs
{{2000s-song-stub