Jon Batiste and Herbie Hancock now have something in common: they are both Black composers who won an Oscar for their music score work. Cinephiles will remember Hancock’s 1986 win for Round Midnight and New Orleanians will recognize their hometown hero for composing the Disney Pixar Soul score alongside Nine Inch Nails frontman (and sometime NOLA neighbor) Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.

“God gave us 12 notes,” Batiste said as he accepted the award. “It’s the same 12 notes Duke Ellington had, Bach had, Nina Simone…. Every gift is special. Every contribution with music that comes from the divine, into the instruments, into the film, into the minds and hearts and souls of every person who hears it. The stories that happen when you listen to it, the stories you share, the moments you create, the memories you make, man, it’s just so incredibly special.”

Soul also took home the win for Best Animated Feature, with co-director Pete Docter acknowledging all three composers during his speech.

Batiste, the 34-year-old composer who is known for his work on The Stephen Colbert Show, was a hit during this Awards Season, taking home awards with his musical cohorts Reznor and Ross at this year’s Golden Globe, BAFTA, Critics’ Choice Awards and more.  Batiste’s colleague Colbert could be seen on Twitter cheering him on, as he did with each awards ceremony in which the New Orleans composer was nominated.

Eagle-eyed viewers will recognize that Batiste’s piano hand work was utilized in the film, making him the musical model for the main character, Joe Gardner, voiced by Jamie Foxx.

Batiste will be among the 24 pianists featured on WWOZ’s Piano Night, airing Monday, April 26, at 7 p.m. CT at wwoz.org or on the radio in metro New Orleans at 90.7 FM.