Disney’s 1989 film The Little Mermaid received three Academy Award nominations.
Its nominations were Best Original Song for “Kiss the Girl,” Best Original Song for “Under the Sea,” and Best Original Score for Alan Menken. “Under the Sea” won Best Original Song, while Menken won for the score. The film therefore earned two Oscars from its three nominations.
The recognition was significant for Disney animation, which had experienced a commercial and creative revival during the late 1980s. The film’s music helped establish the modern Disney animated musical formula and influenced later productions such as Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin.
A common mix-up is counting only the two song nominations or counting the two wins. The correct nomination total is three, while the film’s Oscar win total was two.