Primary Songwriters and Composers for Moana 1
The songs for Moana 1 were written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Opetaia Foa'i, and Mark Mancina, with additional contributions from screenwriters Jared Bush and Pamela Ribon. Miranda, Foa'i, and Mancina composed the score and songs, while Bush and Ribon shaped story-driven lyrics to support the narrative. The soundtrack was released by Walt Disney Records in November 2016 and became one of the year's best-selling soundtracks globally according to Forbes.
Lin-Manuel Miranda, known for Hamilton and In the Heights, contributed to songs such as "We Know the Way" and "How Far I'll Go." Opetaia Foa'i, founder of the Pacific Islander group Te Vaka, brought Polynesian musical influences and co-wrote several tracks. Mark Mancina, a veteran film composer, structured the orchestral score and integrated traditional Pacific instrumentation into the soundtrack per Wikipedia.
Studio, Production Companies, and Release Details
Moana 1 was produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The film premiered in November 2016 in Los Angeles and was released theatrically in the United States on November 23, 2016. The soundtrack was published under the Walt Disney Records label and managed by Disney Music Group per SEC filings.
Disney's internal music division oversaw the coordination between the songwriting team, the orchestrators, and the recording studios. The production involved collaboration with Pacific Islander cultural advisors to ensure authentic representation of Polynesian music and storytelling traditions. The film's score and songs were recorded at multiple studios, including sessions in Los Angeles and New York per Billboard.
Credits, Recognition, and Industry Impact
The Moana 1 soundtrack received multiple award nominations, including an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature and a Grammy nomination for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media. Lin-Manuel Miranda's involvement brought broad attention to the project and expanded the crossover audience for Disney animated musicals. The film's songs charted on international music rankings and were streamed billions of times on major digital platforms per Rolling Stone.
Disney credited the songwriters, performers, and cultural consultants in the film's official press materials and Academy submission documents. The success of Moana 1 influenced subsequent Disney projects that emphasized Pacific Islander and Indigenous musical collaboration. The soundtrack remains one of the best-selling Disney animated film albums of the decade per Billboard charts.