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Learn about the origins, changes, and criteria of the Oscar for Best Original Score, awarded annually since 1935. See the list of nominated composers and films, from Alfred Newman to Ludwig Göransson.
Apr 11, 2021 · Learn about every composer who has won the prestigious Oscar for Best Original Score since 1934. See some of the best and most acclaimed scores ranked by the author.
- All Quiet on the Western Front – Volker Bertelmann. 2023: German composer Volker Bertelmann took home the accolade for his score to anti-war epic ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’.
- Dune – Hans Zimmer. 2022: Zimmer’s 27-year wait for his second Oscar – his first being in 1994 for The Lion King – set a new composer record, one previously held by Breakfast at Tiffany’s composer Henry Mancini.
- Soul – Jon Batiste, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. 2021: Three musical greats picked up the Best Score award for Disney and Pixar’s animation about a jazz musician who winds up trapped in an alternate world, and must connect to his true purpose on Earth to find his way out.
- Joker – Hildur Guðnadóttir. 2020: Icelandic composer Hildur Guðnadóttir became the first woman to win an Academy Award for a film score since 1997. In her speech, she urged women and girls to “please speak up; we need to hear your voices.”
Mar 28, 2022 · The composer claimed his second Academy Award for his music of the sci-fi classic, which he created during the pandemic. He accepted the award in a bathrobe from his hotel room in Amsterdam.
- Jon Burlingame
Jan 24, 2024 · Learn about the five composers competing for the Oscar for Best Original Score at the 96th Oscars on March 10, 2024. Hear their scores for films like American Fiction, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Killers of the Flower Moon, Oppenheimer, and Poor Things.
Apr 26, 2021 · Jon Batiste becomes the second Black composer to win the original score award for his jazz music in Disney-Pixar's Soul. He shares the prize with Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, who composed the film's dramatic underscore.
All the winners and nominated film scores from the history of the Oscars.