"Raise It Up" is a 2007 song written by Jamal Joseph, Charles Mack and Tevin Thomas for the motion picture ''

August Rush ''August Rush'' is a 2007 Drama (film and television), musical drama directed by Kirsten Sheridan & produced by Richard Barton Lewis. The screenplay is by Nick Castle and James V. Hart, with a story by Paul Castro and Castle. It involves an 11-ye ...

''. "Raise It Up" is performed in the film by

Jamia Simone Nash Jamia Simone Nash, also known simply as Jamia, is an American singer and actress. Career Nash's first national appearance was in '' Love & Basketball'' in 2000 in which she played Quincy and Monica’s baby. ''Showtime at the Apollo'' in 2002, w ...

and Impact Repertory Theatre, an African-American youth theatre group based in

Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater ...

.Impact Repertory Theatre website
/ref> The song was produced by Joseph and Mack.''August Rush'' production notes
/ref> In the film, August Rush (

Freddie Highmore Alfred Thomas Highmore (born 14 February 1992) is an English actor. He is known for his starring roles beginning as a child, in the films '' Finding Neverland'' (2004), '' Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'' (2005), '' Arthur and the Invisibles ...

) wanders into Harlem and is drawn to a church by the voice of a young soloist named Hope (Nash) singing this song, which inspires him. Hope ultimately brings him to the attention of her pastor, Reverend James (

Mykelti Williamson Mykelti Williamson (; born Michael T. Williamson; March 4, 1957) is an American actor and director best known for his roles in the films ''Forrest Gump'', '' 12 Angry Men'' (1997), ''Con Air'', and '' Ali'', and the television shows ''Boomtown'' ...

), who helps August further develop his talent. "Raise It Up" was nominated for the

Academy Award for Best Original Song The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the Film industry, motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is presented to the ''songwriters'' who h ...

at the

80th Academy Awards The 80th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 2007. The award ceremony took place on February 24, 2008, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles. During t ...

; however, the nomination announcement originally said "Nominees to be determined". The production notes credit the song to the Impact Repertory Theatre as a whole; however, Oscar rules allow no more than three individuals to be credited with the song for nomination purposes.80th Academy Awards, Rule 16 (music awards)
/ref> (This was the same rule that prevented

Beyoncé Knowles Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most culturally significant figu ...

from sharing in the Oscar nomination for her 2006 song "

Listen Listen may refer to: * The action of listening * Central auditory system listening is how the brain processes what you hear * Listening behaviour types in human communication Computing * LISTEN, a TCP connection state on the server side indi ...

" from ''

Dreamgirls ''Dreamgirls'' is a Broadway musical, with music by Henry Krieger and lyrics and book by Tom Eyen. It is based on the show business aspirations and successes of R&B acts such as The Shirelles, James Brown, Jackie Wilson, and others, and p ...

'', even though she co-wrote it.) The next day, the Academy updated its list to show Joseph, Mack and Thomas as the nominees.List of 80th Academy Awards nominees
/ref> On July 24, 2008, on ''

The Young and the Restless ''The Young and the Restless'' (often abbreviated as ''Y&R'') is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. The show is set in the fictional Genoa City (named after the real-life Genoa City, Wiscon ...

'', the characters

Devon Hamilton Devon Hamilton (also Winters) is a fictional character from ''The Young and the Restless'', an American soap opera, portrayed by Bryton James. The character made his first appearance on June 1, 2004. He was introduced as a homeless teenager who i ...

and Ana Hamilton (played by August Rush's Nash) sang this song at a gala. "Raise It Up," a stirring anthem from August Rush (2007), is a blend of soul, gospel, and youthful exuberance, crafted by Jamal Joseph, Charles Mack, and Tevin Thomas. Performed by Jamia Simone Nash and Impact Repertory Theatre, it serves as a pivotal moment in the film, drawing the protagonist, August Rush, to a Harlem church where his musical journey takes a transformative turn. Celebrated for its emotional resonance, the song earned an Academy Award nomination despite initial crediting complications due to Oscar rules. Beyond the film, its influence extended to television, notably performed by Nash on The Young and the Restless.

References

2007 songs Songs written for films {{2000s-song-stub