Taura Stinson used to help Paris Hilton make her appointments.
Now the musician has a big appointment herself: to show up to Sunday’s Academy Awards where she is nominated for Best Original song for Mudbound’s Mighty River.
Just hours before the event at Hollywood’s Dolby Theater was set to kick off, the star talked exclusively to DailyMail.com about her rise to fame.
On the way up: Taura Stinson used to help Paris Hilton make her appointments. Now she has a big appointment herself: to show up to Sunday’s Academy Awards where she is nominated for Best Original song for Mudbound’s Mighty River; seen on Friday
Praise for Paris: ‘She is a smart, funny, caring and just one of my favorite people,’ said the Alabama native. She on Saturday
Hilton bought her a Louis Vuitton purse when her heart was broken
Stinson is nominated for Best Original Song for co-writing, along with Raphael Saadiq and Mary J Blige the beautiful song Mighty River from the acclaimed Netflix film Mudbound.
Blige also sings the song and stars in the movie. She has an incredible double nomination because of it.
Stinson confessed being nominated for an Oscar is breathtaking.
‘I hate to sound clichéd and say that it feels surreal to be nominated for an Oscar, but it really does,’ the star told DailyMail.com.
‘I have to take deep breaths and remind myself that this isn’t a dream.
‘Raphael and I have written together for many years, so it’s been incredible to share this moments with him and I’ve been a fan of Mary’s since forever and love to be alongside her in such a pivotal history making moment.’
As far as working for Paris, she says it was a dream.
It’s a 180: She says it’s ‘surreal’ to be nominated for an Academy Award; seen in June
‘She is a smart, funny, caring and just one of my favorite people,’ said the Alabama native.
‘One year, a few days before Valentine’s Day we had a session and I was broken hearted… going through a break up.
‘She walked in with this huge Louis Vuitton shopping bag and said “Happy Valentine’s Day. He doesn’t deserve you.”
Tops: Stinson is nominated for Best Original Song for co-writing, along with Raphael Saadiq and Mary J Blige – who sings it – the beautiful song Mighty River from the acclaimed Netflix film Mudbound. Seen on Friday
‘She is been a constant in my life since the day we met and I just appreciate her so much and so happy that she is in such a beautiful, reciprocal and deserving relationship.’
Taura sang in the chorus of the Oscar-winning song Glory from the film Selma in 2015, along with Common and John Legend, who wrote the song.
Now she’s nominated along with Common. He’s noticed as a co-writer with esteemed songwriter Diane Warren for their Stand Up For Something from the film Marshall.
‘I have always thought that my time would come that I would be there with Common.
With the big names: The beauty with Common and Diane Warren in February
‘My mantra is “Believe Become” and I have been doing a whole lot of believing for a good while but the key is that I never gave up.
‘Yes, I was in the choir that backed Common and John Legend and I knew that I would return as a nominee. I set my intentions and worked even harder on my craft, but yes, things are not always easy, but I just bring myself to give up.
‘The best advice that I have for anyone reading this is to “see you through.” Work as hard as you can on your body and souls as you do for others.’
Now she is known for co-writing songs for artists such as Usher, Ariana Grande, Paloma Faith, Deborah Cox, Raphael Saadiq, Burns, Kelis, and Destiny’s Child.
Fun with her friends: Here she is seen with Common and Diane at the Variety x The Songwriters Hall of Fame in Los Angeles in February
Stinson has also written songs for films and television, Twin Peaks (I Am), Black Nativity (soundtrack), Epic (Gonna Be Alright), Rio 2 (Beautiful Creatures, Don’t Go Away), and Step (Jump).
And now she has a new goal.
‘I addition to writing songs for narrative film, I also want to write more songs for documentaries,’ she said.
A win: Mudbound received an award at Saturday’s Independent Spirit Awards; Dee Rees, second from right, accepts the Robert Altman award. Looking on from far left are Garrett Hedlund, Billy Hopkins, Ashley Ingram and Rob Morgan
‘We won the Critics Choice award for best song in a doc with the song Jump and it was just such a rewarding experience, to be a voice for those amazing girls.
‘Would love to write for an animated film as well!
‘Being the lyricist for Rio 2 was one of the best experiences. I also look forward to Music Supervision and have prepared for that just as I have with songwriting…it’s another way to let music speak.
‘I am also starting to write a musical…it’s just fighting to leave my mind and bless the atmosphere. As far as individuals, I’m looking forward to writing with and for talented people who respect and love the art and business of Music A’s much as I do.’
ACADEMY AWARDS NOMINATIONS 2018
BEST ACTOR
Timothee Chalamet – Call Me By Your Name
Daniel Day-Lewis – Phantom Thread
Daniel Kaluuya – Get Out
Gary OIdman – Darkest Hour
Denzel Washington – Roman J. Israel, Esq
BEST ACTRESS
Sally Hawkins – The Shape of Water
Frances McDormand – Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri
Margot Robbie – I, Tonya
Saoirse Ronan – Lady Bird
Meryl Streep – The Post
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Mary J Blige – Mudbound
Alison Janney – I, Tonya
Lesley Manville – Phanton Thread
Laurie Metcalf – Ladybird
Octavia Spencer – The Shape Of Water
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Willem Dafoe – The Florida Project
Woody Harrelson – Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Richard Jenkins – The Shape of Water
Christopher Plummer – All the Money in the World
Sam Rockwell – Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
A Fantastic Woman
The Insult
Loveless
On Body and Soul
The Square
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
Edith + Eddie
Heaven is a Traffic Jam on the 405
Heroin(e)
Knife Skills
Traffic Stop
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Abacus: Small Enough to Jail
Faces Places
Icarus
Last Men in Aleppo
Strong Island
BEST ORIGINAL SONG
Mighty River – Mudbound
Mystery Of Love – Call Me by Your Name
Remember Me – Coco
Stand Up For Something – Marshall
This Is Me – The Greatest Showman
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
The Boss Baby
The Breadwinner
Coco
Ferdinand
Loving Vincent
BEST ADAPTATED SCREENPLAY
Call Me By Your Name – James Ivory
The Disaster Artist – Scott Neustadter and Michael H Weber
Logan – Scott Frank, James Mangold and Michael Green
Molly’s Game – Aaron Sorkin
Mudbound – Virgil Williams and Dee Rees
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
The Big Sick – Emily V Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani
Get Out – Jordan Peele
Lady Bird – Greta Gerwig
The Shape of Water – Guillermo del Toro and Vanessa Taylor (story by Guillermo del Toro)
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri – Martin McDonagh
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Dunkirk
Phantom Thread
The Shape of Water
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
BEST DIRECTOR
Christopher Nolan – Dunkirk
Jordan Peele – Get Out
Greta Gerwig – Lady Bird
Paul Thomas Anderson – Phantom Thread
Guillermo del Toro – The Shape of Water
BEST PICTURE
Call Me By Your Name
Darkest Hour
Dunkirk
Get Out
Lady Bird
Phantom Thread
The Post
The Shape of Water
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Bladerunner 2049
Darkest Hour
Dunkirk
Mudbound
Shape of Water
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Beauty and the Beast
Darkest Hour
Phantom Thread
The Shape of Water
Victoria and Abdul
BEST SOUND EDITING
Baby Driver
Blade Runner
Dunkirk
The Shape of Water
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM
Dear Basketball
Garden Party
Lou
Negative Space
Revolting Rhymes
BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM
DeKalb Elementary
The Eleven O’Clock
My Nephew Emmet
The Silent Child
Watu Wota / All of Us
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Blade Runner 2049
Guardian of the Galaxy vol. 2
Kong: Skull Island
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
War for the Planet of the Apes
BEST FILM EDITING
Baby Driver
I,Tonya
Dunkirk
The Shape of Water
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
BEST SOUND MIXING
Baby Driver
Blade Runner
Dunkirk
The Shape of Water
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Beauty and the Beast
Blade Runner 2049
Darkest Hour
Dunkirk
The Shape of Water
BEST MAKE UP AND HAIR STYLING
Darkest Hour
Victoria & Abdul
Wonder