Sofia Carson is still on cloud nine after the 2023 Academy Award nominations were announced—and she won't be descending anytime soon.
For the American-Italian anthology film, Tell It Like a Woman, the Descendants star sang the accompanying single, "Applause," which earned a nomination for Best Original Song at the 2023 Oscars. In fact, the song earned Diane Warren—who was awarded with an honorary statute in November—her 14th overall nomination. And as for how Sofia feels belting out her vocals for a now Oscar-nominated hit?
"It's so surreal," she exclusively told E! News' Adrienne Bailon-Houghton. "It's the greatest honor of my life that Diane chose me to be the voice of this anthem and I'm so grateful and thrilled and just honored, deeply, deeply, deeply honored. I pinch myself every day."
For the award ceremony set to air March 12, Sofia, along with this year's contenders for Best Original Song including Rihanna (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever), Lady Gaga (Top Gun), Stephanie Hsu, Son Lux and David Byrne (Everything Everywhere All at Once) and Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava (RRR) are slated to perform their hits.
But even the road ahead to gracing the stage, as the 29-year-old noted, feels like a dream.
"I really am taking in every single moment of this incredible journey," she added. "And other nominees are Rihanna and Lady Gaga, artists that we admire so much, so it's amazing. It's really, really amazing."
And for Sofia, her dream will be made all the more complete with having those she treasures the most by her side.
"My entire family is flying out, my mom, grandma," she shared, referring to the big night. "My sister will be with me and it's the greatest gift in the world, because they saw their 3-year-old Sofia dreaming of something like this and it's really, really special."
But you don't have to wait until the 2023 Oscars to hear all of the magic included in Sofia's song. "Applause" is out now.