Moana contains songs.
Moana (2016 film) . The film features music written by Lin-Manuel Miranda , Opetaia Foa'i , and Mark Mancina . Moana was released theatrically in the United States on November 23 , 2016 to critical acclaim , with critics particularly praising the film for its animation , music , and voice cast . It received two Academy Award nominations at the 89th Academy Awards : one for Best Animated Feature and another for Best Original Song ( `` How Far I 'll Go '' ) . Musical film . The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film 's characters , though in some cases they serve merely as breaks in the storyline , often as elaborate `` production numbers '' .