With the Oscars shortlists unveiled in late December, we now know the final 15 films in official contention for the five nomination spots for Best Original Score. There were a few surprising snubs like Cyrano, Luca, and Nightmare Alley and a couple of surprise inclusions like Candyman and The Harder They Fall, but the heavy hitters all sailed through.
Hans Zimmer’s score for Dune has dominated the wins from the critics groups with a dozen victories thus far. As expected, Zimmer picked up a Golden Globe nomination and will likely collect a trophy at the non-ceremony event. Zimmer also nabbed a nomination from the Society of Composers and Lyricists and his victory is edging closer to becoming a certainty.
Jonny Greenwood landed on the Oscars shortlist twice for his The Power of the Dog and Spencer scores. There’s still every chance he will become a double Oscars nominee like he is with the Society of Composers and Lyricists. But I’m starting to suspect the Spencer score may be too jarring and uncomfortable for the Academy’s tastes. Greenwood has collected six critics prizes for The Power of the Dog, so that’s clearly his best shot at an Oscar nod.
Alberto Iglesias’ score for Parallel Mothers has snuck into this race and now sits in my top 5. Iglesias nabbed nods from the HFPA, the Society of Composers and Lyricists, and at the now-delayed Satellite Awards, so an Oscar nomination is now firming. But I’d also keep an eye on Germaine Franco for Encanto. Franco’s inclusion on the shortlist could suggest Encanto may become the first Disney animated film (i.e. not Pixar) to earn a Best Original Score nomination since Mulan in 1998.
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE PREDICTIONS:
1. Dune – Hans Zimmer (Warner Bros.)
2. The Power of the Dog – Jonny Greenwood (Netflix)
3. The French Dispatch – Alexandre Desplat (Searchlight Pictures)
4. Parallel Mothers – Alberto Iglesias (Sony Pictures Classics)
5. Don’t Look Up – Nicholas Britell (Netflix)
IN CONTENTION
Being the Ricardos – Daniel Pemberton (Amazon Studios)
Candyman – Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe (Universal Pictures)
Encanto – Germaine Franco (Disney)
The Green Knight – Daniel Hart (A24)
The Harder They Fall – Jeymes Samuel (Netflix)
King Richard – Kris Bowers (Warner Bros.)
The Last Duel – Harry Gregson-Williams (20th Century Studios)
No Time to Die – Hans Zimmer (MGM)
Spencer – Jonny Greenwood (Neon)
The Tragedy of Macbeth – Carter Burwell (A24/Apple TV+)
