Robbie Williams' track "Forbidden Road" from his biopic Better Man has been disqualified from Oscar consideration, despite initially making the shortlist of 15 finalists for Best Original Song.

The song, written by Williams, Freddy Wexler, and Sacha Skarbek, was recently nominated for a Golden Globe but won't compete for an Oscar due to containing material from a previous song not written specifically for the film. The Academy rules require songs to be original compositions created directly for the motion picture.

Specifically, the track reportedly bears similarities to "I Got A Name," written by Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel for the 1973 film The Last American Hero. Fox currently serves on the AMPAS Board of Governors. The Academy's music branch, consisting of over 400 members, was notified of this decision via letter after the similarities were discovered.

While "Forbidden Road" is out of contention, Better Man remains shortlisted in the Visual Effects category, notably for its portrayal of Williams as a chimpanzee. The film is one of ten finalists competing for five nomination slots.

This isn't unprecedented - in 2013, the title song from Alone Yet Not Alone was similarly disqualified after making the shortlist when its composer violated Academy rules by lobbying music branch members. As with that instance, no replacement nomination will be made for "Forbidden Road."

Before the disqualification, Williams had commented on the initial shortlist inclusion: "It is always nice to be invited to the party — or should I say considered to be invited to the party."

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