Beyonce Knowles won't be eligible for a songwriting Oscar as previously expected due to a rule change limiting the number of songwriters eligible for each nomination.
The 'Dreamgirls' star is one of four people credited with penning the movie's hit tune 'Listen', which is widely tipped to land a Best Original Song nomination at this year's awards. But the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has limited the number of eligible songwriters to three, and decided - for reasons unknown - that Beyonce contributed least to the song.The Academy gave the nod to the other three songwriters, Henry Krieger, Scott Cutler and Anne Preven. The new rule - known as Rule 16 - was installed to limit the number of statuettes handed out on the night. An Academy spokesperson told MTV the rule was also introduced "to ensure that the songwriters/composers who made the greatest contributions to the song are recognized accordingly."
Academy Award nominations are announced January 23.
