‘H.E.R.’ Gabrielle Sarmiento Wilson nabs ’21 Oscar for Best Original Song

Half-Filipina H.E.R. with her Oscar statuette for Best Original Song. SCREENSHOT

H.E.R.,  born Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson, won the this year’s Oscar for Best Original Song, “Fight for You,” from the movie Judas and the Black Messiah.

Her winning song was a collaboration with Dernst Emile II and Tiara Thomas, whom she thanked as she received the award.

“Fight for You” triumphed over songs from The Trial of the Chicago 7 (“Hear My Voice”), Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (“Husavik”), The Life Ahead (La Vita Davanti a Se) (“Io Sì (Seen)”), and One Night in Miami (“Speak Now”).

With the Oscar, H.E.R., only 23, is well on her way to being an EGOT (someone who has won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony). She won the 2021 Emmy for her protest song “I Can’t Breathe.”

“Music is power. And as long as I’m standing, I’m always gonna fight for us, I’m always gonna fight for my people and fight for what’s right,” says H.E.R., which stands for Having Everything Revealed.

She thanked “my beautiful mother (Agnes Sarmiento Wilson) who’s here with me today and my father (Kenny Wilson) at home, all those days of listening to Sly & the Family Stone and Curtis Mayfield and Marvin Gaye really paid off, so thank you, Dad.”