Hans Zimmer’s score for Dune has continued to clean up with wins from the critics groups in January. Zimmer also added a Golden Globe to his trophy cabinet, which only further cemented his frontrunner status for Best Original Score. His victory has seemed fairly certain from the very start of this race, and nothing has really occurred to change that thus far.
But Jonny Greenwood has certainly gained on Zimmer with the critics this month. Greenwood has collected 14 prizes for The Power of the Dog to Zimmer’s 16 and the pair are safely in the top five now. With the wheels falling off the entire Oscar campaign for Spencer, it seems highly unlikely Greenwood will be a double nominee this year.
I think both Nicholas Britell (Don’t Look Up) and Alexandre Desplat (The French Dispatch) feel pretty safe bets. Zimmer, Greenwood, Britell, and Desplat all scored nominations at the Critics Choice Awards, the Golden Globes, and the Society of Composers and Lyricists Awards, so they feel like the safe four right now. That really leaves that fifth spot up for grabs.
If there’s one contender that could be picking up speed at just the right time, it’s Encanto. The film has become a pop culture phenomenon, which will obviously bode well for its chances in Best Animated Feature. It could also strengthen its case for Best Original Score too. Germaine Franco is the first Latina to join the Academy’s music branch (shocking, right?) and she would be the first female of Hispanic descent nominated in this category. Something tells me Franco is snatching that final slot.
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE PREDICTIONS:
1. Dune – Hans Zimmer (Warner Bros.)
2. The Power of the Dog – Jonny Greenwood (Netflix)
3. Don’t Look Up – Nicholas Britell (Netflix)
4. The French Dispatch – Alexandre Desplat (Searchlight Pictures)
5. Encanto – Germaine Franco (Disney)
IN CONTENTION
Being the Ricardos – Daniel Pemberton (Amazon Studios)
Candyman – Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe (Universal Pictures)
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)
Parallel Mothers – Alberto Iglesias (Sony Pictures Classics)
Spencer – Jonny Greenwood (Neon)
The Tragedy of Macbeth – Carter Burwell (A24/Apple TV+)
