The Oscars and rock stars may seem like a strange combination. Hollywood’s refined, black-tie affair isn’t precisely suited to the rebellious ethos of rock, which includes long hair, tattoos, and crazy energy. However, many rock icons have left their imprint on Oscar night over the years.

Well-known performers like Neil Young, Sting, and Jon Bon Jovi have all been nominated but have never won. Despite Bohemian Rhapsody winning four Oscars, Queen’s Roger Taylor and Brian May were not included. Dave Grohl, Aerosmith, and Eddie Vedder have not been nominated, despite their appearances during the ceremony.

This list highlights the rock stars who did receive an Academy Award, whether it was for their acting or for writing catchy songs for the big screen.

Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen’s song “Streets of Philadelphia,” which he composed and recorded for the 1993 movie Philadelphia, won him an Oscar. The song was a financial and critical success, making it into the Top 10 in 18 different countries. Springsteen defeated Janet Jackson and Neil Young, both members of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, to win Best Original Song that year despite fierce competition. Along with four Grammys, “Streets of Philadelphia” also won an MTV Video Music Award and a Golden Globe.

Elton John
For Disney’s The Lion King, Elton John and writer Tim Rice wrote five original songs that are simply legendary. The soundtrack is the only animated feature album to earn diamond certification after selling over 15 million copies in the US. Three of its tunes were nominated for Oscars, and the song “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” won Best Original Song in 1995. Fifteen years later, John shared the Oscar with Bernie Taupin for “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” from Rocketman.

Phil Collins
Other British icons have won Oscars because of Disney besides Elton John. Phil Collins followed suit, winning Tarzan’s Best Original Song award in 1999 for “You’ll Be in My Heart”. Following the failure of his previous attempts, it earned his lone Academy Award. Both in 1985 and 1989, Collins received nominations for “Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)” and “Two Hearts” by Buster, respectively. However, it was his poignant Tarzan ballad that ultimately won the award.

Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan’s Wonder Boys song “Things Have Changed” took home the Best Original Song Oscar on March 25, 2001. He accepted the prize via satellite while he was on tour in Australia. A fitting honor for a musician known for his honest and unvarnished lyrics, he praised “the members of the Academy who were bold enough to give me this award for this song, which is a song that doesn’t pussyfoot around nor turn a blind eye to human nature” in his remarks.

Prince
Prince won an Oscar in the now-retired Best Original Song Score category for his pioneering rock musical Purple Rain. He accepted the award while wearing a dazzling purple wrap, in typical Prince fashion. He modestly acknowledged during his statement that “I could have never imagined this in my wildest dreams.” Despite later contributing music to big-budget movies like Batman (1989) and Happy Feet (2006), the legendary musician was never nominated for another Academy Award.

Stevie Wonder
It’s easy to forget The Woman in Red, a 1984 movie that, although having a cast that included Gilda Radner and Gene Wilder, didn’t exactly impress critics. However, Stevie Wonder’s hit song “I Just Called to Say I Love You” made a lasting impression on the soundtrack. Wonder won the Best Original Song Oscar at the 57th Academy Awards, defeating industry titans like Kenny Loggins (Footloose), Phil Collins (Against All Odds), and Ray Parker Jr. (Ghostbusters). It is still his best-selling song from his illustrious career.

Jared Leto
Jared Leto’s portrayal of an HIV-positive trans woman in Dallas Buyers Club earned him the 2013 Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. But he is famous for more than just acting. With parts in Suicide Squad, Panic Room, Requiem for a Dream, and Fight Club, Leto has an outstanding filmography. Outside of Hollywood, he is the lead singer of the rock group Thirty Seconds to Mars, which he co-founded in 1998. They have sold more than 15 million records worldwide and have performed on tours alongside major acts including Muse, Linkin Park, and Audioslave.

Annie Lennox
“Into the West” was co-written and performed by Annie Lennox, the voice of Eurythmics, for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. She took home the Best Original Song Oscar at the 76th Academy Awards for the poignant ballad. Lennox honored two significant individuals during her performance: her mother and composer Michael Kamen, who both died in 2019.

Cher
Cher’s career has been shaped by her refusal to limit herself to a single medium. She has left her imprint on everything from music to TV, theater, and movies. She played a widow in the romantic comedy Moonstruck (1987) who develops feelings for her fiancé’s brother. Her performance was praised for its depth and humor. Cher defeated well-known celebrities including Meryl Streep, Holly Hunter, and Glenn Close to win Best Actress at the 60th Academy Awards.

The Beatles
The Beatles’ 1970 documentary Let It Be, which documents the band practicing and recording their last studio album, received the Oscar for Best Original Song Score. Originally intended for television, the production evolved into a feature film, culminating in the well-known rooftop performance. Quincy Jones, the ceremony’s musical director, collected the Oscar on the Beatles’ behalf because they were not present at the 43rd Academy Awards.

Isaac Hayes
Isaac Hayes was a funk and soul superstar, renowned for his silky baritone voice. Hayes was recognized as a BMI Icon and inducted into both the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He penned the theme song and composed the score for the 1971 film Shaft. At the 44th Academy Awards, both were nominated and “Theme From Shaft” took home the Best Original Song prize. Hayes was the first African-American to win an Oscar in a non-acting category and the third overall.

David Byrne
In 1987, David Byrne, who is most recognized as the frontman of Talking Heads, made his cinematic debut. Together with Ryuichi Sakamoto and Cong Su, he composed the music for the epic movie The Last Emperor, which took home nine Academy Awards that year, the most of any film. Byrne and his partners won the Best Original Score Oscar. He praised the filmmakers and stated, “This is a lot of fun, but it’s more fun doing it,” in his succinct acceptance speech.

Melissa Etheridge
Known for her successes from the 1990s, such as “Come to My Window” and “If I’m the Only One,” Melissa Etheridge took home the 2007 Oscar for Best Original Song. She penned “I Need to Wake Up” for the documentary An Inconvenient Truth, which focused on Al Gore’s efforts to increase public awareness of global warming. Etheridge praised Gore for “inspiring me” in her victory speech, “Caring about the Earth is not Republican or Democrat. It’s neither blue nor red. All of us are green.”

Randy Newman
Famous for songs like “I Love L.A.” and “Short People,” Randy Newman turned his attention to film scoring and wrote more than 25 movie soundtracks in addition to writing original music for several movies. He has the most Academy Award nominations without a win for many years. After 15 defeats, he eventually won his first Oscar in 2003 for Monsters, Inc.’s “If I Didn’t Have You.” Newman joked to the crowd about his streak, saying, “I don’t want your pity!” In 2011, he won a second Oscar for Toy Story 3’s “We Belong Together.”

T Bone Burnett
Renowned producer and roots rocker T Bone Burnett has contributed to innumerable movie soundtracks, such as O Brother and Where Art Thou?, Walk the Line, and Cold Mountain. He did, however, win his first Oscar for his work on the 2009 movie Crazy Heart. Burnett co-wrote songs for the film, which followed a country musician (played by Jeff Bridges) as he rebuilt his life. Co-written with Ryan Bingham, “The Weary Kind” took home the 82nd Academy Awards’ Best Original Song honor.

Christopher Cross
Christopher Cross, a soft-rock musician, co-wrote the song “Best That You Can Do” for the 1991 movie Arthur alongside Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager, and Peter Allen. The song won an Oscar. For Cross, this accomplishment turned into a career high point. However, his smooth yacht-rock style became less popular as MTV and hair-metal bands gained popularity. Cross still has a devoted following and tours until today.

Carly Simon
In addition to being well-known for her hit song “You’re So Vain,” Carly Simon also won an Oscar for this song. She penned “Let the River Run” for the romantic comedy Working Girl (1988), starring Joan Cusack, Sigourney Weaver, Harrison Ford, and Melanie Griffith. Simon was the only one to win an Oscar, and the movie earned five nominations. Her award for Best Original Song demonstrated that she was a talented musician in addition to her well-known hit.