Everything essentially went to plan when the Academy announced the final five nominations for Best Original Score. While it was a surprise to see two-time winner Alexandre Desplat miss out on a nomination for The French Dispatch, the film was completely snubbed entirely, so he was clearly just collateral damage.
In February, Hans Zimmer picked up a BAFTA nod and a win from the Hollywood Critics Association, so he remains the frontrunner for yet another month. The fact someone as esteemed as Zimmer hasn’t won this category since his first and only Oscar victory in 1994 for The Lion King likely works tremendously well in his favour this year. For now, I still see nothing stopping him.
The only other nominee I can make a case for is Jonny Greenwood for The Power of the Dog. If the film continues to strengthen as a potential Best Picture winner, Greenwood could certainly topple Zimmer. Like Zimmer, Greenwood hasn’t missed a beat this season, with nominations from BAFTA, Critics Choice, Golden Globes, and the Society of Composers and Lyricists, so he’s the only one who can really challenge here.
So what will shape this race before Oscar voting commences on March 17? The Society Of Composers And Lyricists will unveil their winner on March 8, while BAFTA and Critics Choice Awards will both reveal their winners on March 13. If Zimmer picks up both the latter two, the race is all but over. But if Greenwood can crack an upset just before the Academy begins to vote, the tide could certainly shift.
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE PREDICTIONS:
1. Dune (Warner Bros.)
2. The Power of the Dog (Netflix)
3. Encanto (Disney)
4. Don’t Look Up (Netflix)
5. Parallel Mothers (Sony Pictures Classics)
