Which song from Monsters, Inc. was nominated for the 2002 Academy Award for Best Original Song?

The Monsters, Inc. song nominated for the 2002 Academy Award for Best Original Song was “If I Didn’t Have You.”

Randy Newman wrote the song for the film, and John Goodman and Billy Crystal perform it as Sulley and Mike during the closing credits. Its lyrics celebrate the friendship between the two characters, making it a musical summary of their partnership after the story’s conflict.

The song received the Academy Award nomination for the 74th ceremony, which honored films released in 2001. It won the Oscar, giving Pixar its first Academy Award for Best Original Song. Newman’s later Pixar songwriting is associated with several other films, so titles from Toy Story can be confused with this nomination.

The song’s placement is important: it follows the factory’s transformation and the restoration of Sulley and Boo’s relationship. Rather than functioning as a standalone pop track, it closes the film by emphasizing friendship and the emotional result of the adventure.