Sam Rodriguez’s "Flamin Hot" receives Academy Award Nomination for Best Original Song

"Flamin Hot," the captivating film that tells the rags-to-riches story of a Mexican immigrant who invented the hit snack Flamin' Hot Cheetos, is nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song. 

Executive Produced by Sam Rodriguez, the film is Fox Searchlight Pictures' most-watched streaming movie of all time.

This marks Rodriguez's second film nomination in the "Best Original Song" category, following his previous accolade in 2019 for the film "Breakthrough" for the original song, "I'm Standing With You".

"I give God all the glory for this nomination. 'Flamin Hot' has been a labor of love, and it is truly an honor to be recognized by the Academy for the second time. I am immensely thankful to the entire team who worked tirelessly on this project, and I share this nomination with them."

"Flamin Hot" tells the compelling and inspiring story of Richard Montañez who grew up as a farm worker in Southern California. A school dropout who struggled with reading and writing, Montañez was a janitor at a Frito-Lay factory in Rancho Cucamonga, California, when he thought about adding chili spice to the original Cheeto chip. His initiative turned into a multibillion-dollar idea and transformed him into an executive at a multinational corporation.

"The runaway success of 'Flamin' Hot' is not only because it tells the inspirational story of Richard Montañez," said Rodriguez. But also because it tells the story of every American of every race who had the audacity, faith, and determination to take the American Dream to heart and say, 'Why not me?' It is the story of everyone who has been discounted, diminished or dismissed but overcame anyway."

This second nomination for Best Original Song adds another layer of distinction to this already acclaimed film as Pastor Sam Rodriguez continues to bridge the worlds of faith and entertainment.

 

 

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