The Academy Of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences has announced X Japan’s “La Venus” as one of the songs in contention for a nomination for this year's "Best Original Song" at the 89th Academy Awards. Yoshiki - songwriter, drummer, classically-trained pianist and the creative force of X Japan - wrote "La Venus" for We Are X, the music documentary on the iconic Japanese rock group.

The nominations for the 89th Oscars will be announced Tuesday, January 24th. The Oscars will take place Sunday, February 26th, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network at 7 PM, ET/4 PM, PT. "La Venus" the single will be released via Sony Legacy Recordings and available everywhere in early 2017.

"Sony Music Entertainment's Legacy Recordings is thrilled to be releasing the new single, “La Venus” from X Japan's feature documentary, We Are X," says Adam Block, President of Sony Legacy Recordings. "It's a beautiful, powerful track from a stunning film that we hope will be considered for a nomination for best song from a feature film at this year's Academy Awards."

Watch as Yoshiki describes "La Venus" and its role in the film We Are X:

We Are X is a transcendent and beautifully shot rock & roll story about the Japanese rock band X Japan, one of the biggest rock bands in the world. X Japan has sold over 30 million singles and albums combined - captivating such a wide range of admirers as Sir George Martin, KISS, Stan Lee, and the Japanese Emperor - while pioneering a spectacle-driven style of visual rock called Visual Kei, a one-of-a-kind cultural phenomenon.

Directed by acclaimed documentarian Stephen Kijak (Stones in Exile, Scott Walker: 30 Century Man), and produced by the Oscar-winning production team  behind  Searching for Sugar Man, We Are X is an astonishingly intimate portrait of a deeply haunted - but truly unstoppable - virtuoso and the music that has enthralled legions of the world's most devoted fans. The film continues to expand nationally in new cities every week; see the current list of playdates, here.

On January 12th and 13th, Yoshiki will bring his classical show, Yoshiki Classical: Featuring Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, to Carnegie Hall's Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage in New York. For the Carnegie Hall concert, Yoshiki will perform his original compositions alongside the world-renowned Tokyo Philharmonic; he will also play several traditional classical pieces.

(Photo - Tanya Braganti)