‘Sing’ vies for 2 awards at Golden Globes

MANILA, Philippines — The musical comedy “Sing” is up for two major honors at the 2016 Golden Globe Awards.

The critically acclaimed and box-office smash film from Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment is vying for Best Motion Picture - Animated and Best Original Song with Stevie Wonder's “Faith.”

The Golden Globes is on January 10.

“From Santa Monica to Paris, the entire Illumination team is overjoyed. On behalf of my producing partner Janet Healy and our exceptionally talented writer-director Garth Jennings as well as everyone at Illumination Mac Guff and our partners at Universal, I want to thank the HFPA for recognizing the work of all of the artists who created 'Sing' as well as the legend Stevie Wonder for giving us 'Faith,'”  Illumination founder and “Sing” producer Chris Meledandri said reacting to the double nominations.

Just like Pharrell Williams’ “Happy” from Illumination's Despicable Me 2, “Faith,” performed by Wonder featuring Ariana Grande, is as powerful as it is infectious. It is produced by multiple Grammy Award-winning producers Ryan Tedder and Benny Blanco.

“There’s an uplift and inclusion to this song that bridges generations. With Ariana’s range and Stevie’s vocals, ‘Faith’ is the perfect song to give the audience as they take the messages of Sing with them,” Tedder said.

“Sing” stars Academy Award winners Matthew McConaughey and Reese Witherspoon, alongside Seth McFarlane, Scarlett Johansson, John Reilly, Taron Egerton and Grammy Award-nominated Tori Kelly.

Set in a world like ours but entirely inhabited by animals, “Sing” features Buster Moon (McConaughey), a dapper koala who presides over a once-grand theater that has fallen on hard times. Buster is an eternal—some might even say delusional—optimist who loves his theater above all and will do anything to preserve it. Now faced with the crumbling of his life’s ambition, he has one final chance to restore his fading jewel to its former glory by producing the world’s greatest singing competition.

Five lead contestants will emerge: Mike (MacFarlane), a mouse who croons as smoothly as he cons; Meena (Kelly), a timid teenage elephant with an enormous case of stage fright; Rosita (Witherspoon), an overtaxed mother run ragged tending a litter of 25 piglets; Johnny (Egerton), a young gangster gorilla looking to break free of his family’s felonies; and Ash (Johansson), a punk-rock porcupine struggling to shed her arrogant boyfriend and go solo.

Each arrives under Buster’s marquee believing that this is their shot to change the course of their life. And as Buster coaches each of his contestants closer and closer to the grand finale, he starts to learn that maybe the theater isn’t the only thing that is in need of saving.

“Sing,” distributed by United International Pictures through Columbia Pictures will be shown in the country starting January 4.

Watch the music video of the end title song “Faith” here: