Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell to Receive Palm Springs Film Fest Award for ‘Barbie’ Song

Siblings Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell are this year’s recipient of the Palm Springs International Film Festival’s Chairman’s Award, the organization announced Thursday.

Eilish and Finneas, Oscar winners in 2022 for their song from “No Time to Die,” will receive the award for their acclaimed hit song “What Was I Made For?” from Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie.”

“We are thrilled to present the prestigious Chairman’s Award to Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell,” festival chairman Nachhattar Singh Chandi said. “Billie and Finneas, with their unparalleled talent, have created a beautiful and ethereal ballad that perfectly evokes the poignancy of the journey Margot Robbie’s Barbie takes in the film. The Palm Springs International Film Festival proudly honors these visionary artists for their award-worthy musical contribution.”

Previous honorees of the Chairman’s Award have included Jennifer Hudson, Tom Hanks, Reese Witherspoon, George Clooney, Matt Damon, Nicole Kidman, Regina King, Gary Oldman, Joaquin Phoenix, and Viola Davis.

Eilish and Finneas join the previously announced honorees, Carey Mulligan (International Star Award, Actress), Cillian Murphy (Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actor), Colman Domingo (Spotlight Award, Actor), Danielle Brooks (Spotlight Award, Actress), Da’Vine Joy Randolph (Breakthrough Performance Award), Emma Stone (Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actress), Greta Gerwig (Director of the Year), Jeffrey Wright (Career Achievement Award), and “Killers of the Flower Moon” (Vanguard Award).

Eilish, who turns 22 next week, made history as the youngest artist to receive nominations and win in all the major categories at the Grammys, receiving prizes for Best New Artist, Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Vocal Album. O’Connell won Record of the Year two consecutive years (in 2020 for “Bad Guy” and 2021 for “Everything I Wanted”) and is nominated again this year for the “Barbie” song.

While discussing the possibility of an Oscar nomination “What Was I Made For?” recently with TheWrap, Eilish said, “The Oscars was, like, the scariest place I’ve ever performed. It’s such a world that I’m not really part of — I’m not an actor. I’m a musician. And there’s a complete different energy in there. It’s movie stars who you’ve been watching for your whole life and they’re sitting there and it’s just crazy. It’s a very intense — in a cool way — vibe.”

Finneas added, “The thing that we can relate to, that anyone can relate to, is having an identity crisis: not knowing who you are, other people’s perception of you, feeling like you’re letting other people down by not always being the perceived version of yourself. I’ve felt that way, Billie’s felt that way.”

The Palm Springs Film Awards will take place on Jan. 4, 2024, at the Palm Springs Convention Center, with the festival running through Jan. 15, 2024.

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