Joshuah Brian Campbell Got to 'Thank' Harriet Tubman After Oscar-Nominated Song 'Stand Up' Came Together

TheWrap

Not many people get to thank the inspiration for their greatest work to date — certainly not when they’ve been dead for over 100 years — but Joshuah Brian Campbell got that chance and it meant the world to him.

Campbell and “Harriet” star Cynthia Erivo are nominated for Best Original Song for their work, “Stand Up,” which plays during the closing credits of the film. During TheWrap’s Screening Series at The Landmark in Los Angeles on Sunday, Campbell spoke about how when he got the call saying “Stand Up” would be used in the film, he was actually on his way see Tubman’s final home in Upstate New York.

“When I got the go-ahead call that they wanted to use the piece,” Campbell explained, “I was prepping to get on a bus to go on a pilgrimage to the Harriet Tubman home site. It was really special that I was sort of able to say thank you to her on the land she spent her last years.”

Also Read: 'Harriet' Star Cynthia Erivo Responds to Stephen King's Diversity Tweet

Campbell was brought on to the project after the film’s composer, Terence Blanchard, saw Campbell perform his song “Sing Out, March On” at Harvard’s commencement in 2018. To work on the film was a natural fit for Campbell, who connected very strongly to Tubman’s faith — the two actually belonged to the same denomination, African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church.

“I think the film captures pretty beautifully Harriet as a woman of faith and the almost mystical but very viscerally real connection to God and to spirit that she seemed to have,” Campbell said. “And that’s something that’s really important to me. So I think being involved in the project, because of that, was special. And also because the sound that Cynthia, the producers and I were able to create with the song really is really honest to my roots in gospel and southern traditional black music. I was able to pour so many pieces of myself into the sound world of the song and that was really special.

During an interview last year, Erivo told TheWrap she thought she “was probably a pain to most people because I was so specific about what I wanted to hear and what I wanted to do.” Campbell couldn’t disagree more.

Also Read: 'Harriet' Star Cynthia Erivo Is One Step Closer to EGOT Status With 2 Oscar Nominations

“I think she’s alluding to the fact that she had high standards and I count it as a blessing to work with somebody, especially a vocalist who knows her instrument like Cynthia, who is very clear about what it is they want out of the sound or out of the piece,” Campbell said. “I grew up in the black church and choir directors are no joke — and I have been a choir director — so I know what it’s like. I really didn’t experience any pain for the process. I thought it was a really strong musician who is clear about what they want and need.”

Oscars 2020: See the Nominees in All 24 Categories (Photos)

Nine films are nominated for Best Picture at the 92nd Annual Academy Awards. This year’s Oscars ceremony, which takes place the earliest ever in awards season, will take place on Feb. 9. And for the second year in a row, this year’s ceremony will have no host. Check out the full list of nominees in all 24 categories.
BEST PICTURE

“Ford v Ferrari,”

“The Irishman,”

“Jojo Rabbit,”

“Joker,”

“Little Women,”

“Marriage Story,”

“1917,”

“Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood,”

“Parasite” (Pictured)
Neon
BEST DIRECTOR

Bong Joon Ho, “Parasite,”

Todd Phillips, “Joker,”

Sam Mendes, “1917,”

Martin Scorsese, “The Irishman” (Pictured),

Quentin Tarantino, “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood”
Netflix
BEST ACTOR

Antonio Banderas, “Pain and Glory,”

Leonardo DiCaprio, “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood,”

Adam Driver, “Marriage Story,”

Joaquin Phoenix, “Joker,” (Pictured)

Jonathan Pryce, “The Two Popes”
Warner Bros.
BEST ACTRESS

Cynthia Erivo, “Harriet,”

Scarlett Johansson, “Marriage Story,”

Saoirse Ronan, “Little Women,”

Charlize Theron, “Bombshell,”

Renée Zellweger, “Judy” (pictured)
Roadside Attractions/LD Entertainment
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Tom Hanks, “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”

Anthony Hopkins, “The Two Popes”

Al Pacino, “The Irishman”

Joe Pesci, “The Irishman”

Brad Pitt, “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood” (pictured)
Sony Pictures
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Kathy Bates, “Richard Jewell” (pictured),

Laura Dern, “Marriage Story,”

Scarlett Johansson, “Jojo Rabbit,”

Florence Pugh, “Little Women,”

Margot Robbie, “Bombshell”
STXfilms
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

“Knives Out,”

“Marriage Story” (pictured),

“1917,”

“Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood,”

“Parasite”
Netflix
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

“The Irishman,”

“Jojo Rabbit,”

“Joker,”

“Little Women,”

“The Two Popes” (pictured)
Peter Mountain/Netflix
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

“The Irishman,”

“Joker,”

“The Lighthouse” (pictured),

“1917,”

“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
A24/Photo by Eric Chakeen
BEST FILM EDITING

“Ford v Ferrari,”

“The Irishman,”

“Jojo Rabbit,”

“Joker,”

“Parasite”
Netflix
BEST COSTUME DESIGN

“The Irishman,”

“Jojo Rabbit,”

“Joker,”

“Little Women” (pictured),

“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
Sony
BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

“Bombshell” (pictured)

“Joker,”

“Judy,”

“Maleficent: Mistress of Evil,”

“1917”
Lionsgate
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

“Joker,”

“Little Women” (pictured),

“Marriage Story,”

“1917,”

“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker”
Fox Searchlight
BEST ORIGINAL SONG

“I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away” from “Toy Story 4,"

“Into the Unknown” from “Frozen II” (pictured),

“(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” from “Rocketman,”

“I’m Standing With You,” “Breakthrough,”

“Stand Up” from “Harriet”
Disney
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

“The Irishman,”

“Jojo Rabbit,”

“1917” (pictured, Dennis Gassner),

“Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood,”

“Parasite”
Universal
BEST SOUND EDITING

“Ford v Ferrari,”

“Joker,”

“1917,”

“Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood,”

“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” (pictured)
Walt Disney Studios
BEST SOUND MIXING

“Ad Astra” (pictured)

“Ford v Ferrari,”

“Joker,”

“1917,”

“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
20th Century Fox
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

“Avengers: Endgame,”

“The Irishman,”

“The Lion King” (pictured),

“1917,”

“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker”
Disney
BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM

“Corpus Christi,” Poland

“Honeyland,” North Macedonia

“Les Misérables,” France

“Pain and Glory,” Spain (pictured)

“Parasite,” South Korea
Sony Pictures Classics
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

“How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World,”

“I Lost My Body,”

“Klaus,”

“Missing Link,”

“Toy Story 4” (pictured)
Disney-Pixar
BEST ANIMATED SHORT

“Dcera (Daughter),”

“Hair Love,”

“Kitbull” (pictured)

“Memorable”

“Sister”
Pixar
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

“American Factory,”

“The Cave” (pictured),

“The Edge of Democracy,”

“For Sama,”

“Honeyland”
Nat Geo
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT

“In the Absence,”

“Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl)” (pictured)

“Life Overtakes Me,”

“St. Louis Superman,”

“Walk Run Cha-Cha”
Netflix
BEST LIVE-ACTION SHORT

“Brotherhood,”

“Nefta Football Club” (pictured)

“The Neighbors’ Window,”

“Saria,”

“A Sister”
Mubi

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The 92nd Academy Awards take place on Feb. 9

Nine films are nominated for Best Picture at the 92nd Annual Academy Awards. This year’s Oscars ceremony, which takes place the earliest ever in awards season, will take place on Feb. 9. And for the second year in a row, this year’s ceremony will have no host. Check out the full list of nominees in all 24 categories.

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