Fort Worth celebrates Oscar nominee Abraham Alexander with fireworks, city proclamation
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From Cowtown to Tinseltown
Fort Worth director Greg Kwedar’s film “Sing Sing” is nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Actor in a Leading Role at this year’s Oscars. Fort Worth musician Abraham Alexander is also nominated for the film for “Like a Bird” in the Best Original Song category.
Read all about Fort Worth’s road to the Academy Awards here.
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After hearing Abraham Alexander’s “Like a Bird,” Trashaun Wells started drawing.
The 11-year-old Fort Worth ISD student drew a picture of a blue bird and fashioned the words “Fly Like a Bird” above it. He then gave it to Alexander on Thursday evening.
“It’s moments like this that really matter,” Alexander told the Star-Telegram.
Wells was one of over a hundred people that celebrated Alexander and his Oscar nomination Thursday evening in downtown Fort Worth.
Alexander is nominated for Best Original Song at the 97th Academy Awards. He co-wrote the song with the Black Pumas’ Adrian Quesada for the film “Sing Sing.”
Fort Worthians piled into the new soon-to-be open music venue, The Spotlight (310 Houston St., at the old Reata location), to meet and greet with Alexander. The musician signed autographs and took photos with folks for a couple of hours.
Amidst the flurry of fans, Alexander said seeing Wells’ artwork is what this entire ride is about.
“What matters is to make sure that I’m showing that to the community, to Trashaun, that if you dream, it can happen,” Alexander said.
A Fort Worth proclamation from Mayor Mattie Parker
Thursday’s celebration served as Alexander’s Oscars send-off before he heads to Los Angeles for the March 2 ceremony.
About halfway through the evening, Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker and a few city council members took the stage to bestow a city proclamation onto Alexander as recognition for his “musical excellence and Oscar nomination.”
A visibly stunned Alexander closed his eyes in reflection as Parker read the document.
“My colleagues are up here today because we all believe in what your story is, Abraham, and we’re so proud of you as a city,” Parker said.
Alexander made his way to the stage, where he embraced the city officials and then bent over to catch his breath.
As he gathered himself, Parker let the crowd know that the only other person to receive this honor was Alexander’s good friend and Fort Worth native Leon Bridges.
After a minute, an overwhelmed Alexander thanked the crowd.
“The second person that believes in a dream is more important than the dreamer,” Alexander said. “Thank you for believing in my dream.”
Soon after, the evening’s entertainment — a Cuban salsa band led by Grammy winner Carlitos Del Puerto — returned to the stage and surprised Alexander with their own version of “Like a Bird.”
The room lit up as people returned to the dance floor, with Alexander himself joining the band on the last few verses. Next up, an announcement was made for everyone to head over to Sundance Square Plaza.
Friends and colleagues gathered around Alexander as fireworks lit up the night sky, while his song “Stay” boomed across the plaza’s speakers. As the show wrapped up, hugs and handshakes were had across the area.
He may not have brought home a trophy yet, but Alexander said he already won.
“Home is where you’re amplified the most,” Alexander said. “Thank you for allowing me to be myself in the most authentic way.”
The 97the Academy Awards airs March 2 on ABC.
This story was originally published February 21, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
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