“American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs,” Vivek Maddala, composer
“Anita,” Lili Haydn, composer
“Annabelle,” Joseph Bishara, composer
“At Middleton,” Arturo Sandoval, composer
“Atlas Shrugged: Who Is John Galt?,” Elia Cmiral, composer
“Bears,” George Fenton, composer
“Belle,” Rachel Portman, composer
“Big Eyes,” Danny Elfman, composer
“Big Hero 6,” Henry Jackman, composer
“The Book of Life,” Gustavo Santaolalla and Tim Davies, composers
“The Boxtrolls,” Dario Marianelli, composer
“Brick Mansions,” Trevor Morris, composer
“Cake,” Christophe Beck, composer
“Calvary,” Patrick Cassidy, composer
“Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” Henry Jackman, composer
“The Case against 8,” Blake Neely, composer
“Cheatin’,” Nicole Renaud, composer
“Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” Michael Giacchino, composer
“The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Them,” Son Lux, composer
“Divergent,” Tom Holkenborg, composer
“Dolphin Tale 2,” Rachel Portman, composer
“Dracula Untold,” Ramin Djawadi, composer
“Draft Day,” John Debney, composer
“The Drop,” Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders, composers
“Earth to Echo,” Joseph Trapanese, composer
“Edge of Tomorrow,” Christophe Beck, composer
“Endless Love,” Christophe Beck and Jake Monaco, composers
“The Equalizer,” Harry Gregson-Williams, composer
“Exodus: Gods and Kings,” Alberto Iglesias, composer
“The Fault in Our Stars,” Mike Mogis, composer
“Finding Vivian Maier,” J. Ralph, composer
“Fury,” Steven Price, composer
“Garnet’s Gold,” J. Ralph, composer
“Girl on a Bicycle,” Craig Richey, composer
“The Giver,” Marco Beltrami, composer
“Godzilla,” Alexandre Desplat, composer
“Gone Girl,” Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, composers
“The Good Lie,” Martin Léon, composer
“The Grand Budapest Hotel,” Alexandre Desplat, composer
“The Great Flood,” Bill Frisell, composer
“Hercules,” Fernando Velázquez, composer
“The Hero of Color City,” Zoë Poledouris-Roché and Angel Roché, Jr., composers
“The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies,” Howard Shore, composer
“The Homesman,” Marco Beltrami, composer
“Horrible Bosses 2,” Christopher Lennertz, composer
“How to Train Your Dragon 2,” John Powell, composer
“The Hundred-Foot Journey,” A.R. Rahman, composer
“The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1,” James Newton Howard, composer
“I Origins,” Will Bates and Phil Mossman, composers
“The Imitation Game,” Alexandre Desplat, composer
“Inherent Vice,” Jonny Greenwood, composer
“Interstellar,” Hans Zimmer, composer
“The Interview,” Henry Jackman, composer
“Into the Storm,” Brian Tyler, composer
“Jal,” Sonu Nigam and Bickram Ghosh, composers
“The Judge,” Thomas Newman, composer
“Kill the Messenger,” Nathan Johnson, composer
“Kochadaiiyaan,” A.R. Rahman, composer
“Legends of Oz: Dorothy’s Return,” Toby Chu, composer
“The Lego Movie,” Mark Mothersbaugh, composer
“The Liberator,” Gustavo Dudamel, composer
“Life Itself,” Joshua Abrams, composer
“Living Is Easy with Eyes Closed,” Pat Metheny, composer
“Lucy,” Eric Serra, composer
“Maleficent,” James Newton Howard, composer
“The Maze Runner,” John Paesano, composer
“Merchants of Doubt,” Mark Adler, composer
“Million Dollar Arm,” A.R. Rahman, composer
“A Million Ways to Die in the West,” Joel McNeely, composer
“Mr. Peabody & Sherman,” Danny Elfman, composer
“Mr. Turner,” Gary Yershon, composer
“The Monuments Men,” Alexandre Desplat, composer
“A Most Violent Year,” Alex Ebert, composer
“My Old Lady,” Mark Orton, composer
“Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb,” Alan Silvestri, composer
“Nightcrawler,” James Newton Howard, composer
“No God, No Master,” Nuno Malo, composer
“Noah,” Clint Mansell, composer
“Non-Stop,” John Ottman, composer
“The One I Love,” Danny Bensi and Saunder Jurriaans, composers
“Ouija,” Anton Sanko, composer
“Paddington,” Nick Urata, composer
“Penguins of Madagascar,” Lorne Balfe, composer
“Pompeii,” Clinton Shorter, composer
“The Purge: Anarchy,” Nathan Whitehead, composer
“The Railway Man,” David Hirschfelder, composer
“Red Army,” Christophe Beck and Leo Birenberg, composers
“Ride Along,” Christopher Lennertz, composer
“Rocks in My Pockets,” Kristian Sensini, composer
“Rosewater,” Howard Shore, composer
“St. Vincent,” Theodore Shapiro, composer
“The Salt of the Earth,” Laurent Petitgand, composer
“Selma,” Jason Moran, composer
“The Signal,” Nima Fakhrara, composer
“Snowpiercer,” Marco Beltrami, composer
“Song of the Sea,” Bruno Coulais, composer
“Still Alice,” Ilan Eshkeri, composer
“The Tale of the Princess Kaguya,” Joe Hisaishi, composer
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” Brian Tyler, composer
“That Awkward Moment,” David Torn, composer
“The Theory of Everything,” Jóhann Jóhannsson, composer
“This Is Where I Leave You,” Michael Giacchino, composer
“300: Rise of an Empire,” Tom Holkenborg, composer
“Tracks,” Garth Stevenson, composer
“Transformers: Age of Extinction,” Steve Jablonsky, composer
“22 Jump Street,” Mark Mothersbaugh, composer
“Unbroken,” Alexandre Desplat, composer
“Under the Skin,” Mica Levi, composer
“Virunga,” Patrick Jonsson, composer
“Visitors,” Philip Glass, composer
“A Walk among the Tombstones,” Carlos Rafael Rivera, composer
“Walking with the Enemy,” Timothy Williams, composer
“Wild Tales,” Gustavo Santaolalla, composer
“X-Men: Days of Future Past,” John Ottman, composer
114 Scores Advance in Oscar Race
![2025 Oscars: Can a Late-Breaker Still Win Best Picture? [POLL]](https://www.awardsdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/gladiator-350x250.jpg)
Under the Skin is the most deserving film of this category in years. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a work so unbelievably reliant on the composition.
right now, my voyes would be:
Captain America 2 by Henry Jackman–propulsive, rocking action score
The Fault in Our Stars y Mike Mogis–quirky,indie, alt-lite music of joy and young sorrow
The Grand Budapest Hotel by Alexandre Desplat–everything in a Wes Anderson movie must fit his style while being funny, tragic and propelling the story
Interstellar by Hans Zimmer–OK, he already got nominated for the same thing with INCEPTION, but if I had to list the five movies whose scores were most integral to the final project, this makes the cut
Noah by Clint Mansell– great score, and howhas this guy never been nominated?
The reason that BIRDMAN and WHIPLASH aren’t eligible is because their soundtracks contain too much outside music. I feel bad in a way for the composers, but the Academy has had to enforce this rule because too many Academy voters are too thick to discern between original compositions and outside source music. I’m convinced that THE FULL MONTY won for Best Score partly, if not largely, because of all the cool dance songs that augmented Rachel Portman’s compostions (same goes for the Howard Menken Disney winners).
Some critics groups have begun to punt and call their award “Best use of Music in a Movie”. That’s lame too, because then you are punishing those composers who do original music. A NYC critic’s group gave their Music award to GET ON UP, which was basically a mix tape of James Brown songs – asinine!
I would suggest a compromise where there is an award for Original score and one for Best Compilation.
Mica Levi for Under the skin! It’s a rare case where the score is really a part of the film experience and not barely some violin or piano playing in the background. It would be awesome if she gets nominated though, sadly, I know it will never happen.
Wouldn’t Lego Movie be adapted? Because characters in it are preexisting?
“LEGO MOVIE is Original. It would be adapted if were based on “previously published or produced” material.”
Like the previously-produced Lego play materials?
Oh gosh, see if Hisaishi Jo were ever to get an Oscar nomination, my heart would probably explode with glee.
I’m in agreement that The Homesman ought to be considered, and I’ve included it on my predictions list. Another left-field contender which I think will click with the music branch is Bruno Coulais’ score for Song of the Sea. It doesn’t have any of its featured songs on the Original Song shortlist, but I expect them to recognise him in Original Score instead.
Alexandre Desplat has five scores in contention this year, and isn’t an unrealistic prediction for any of those five, imo.
LEGO MOVIE is Original. It would be adapted if were based on “previously published or produced” material.
Do they also release the lists of eligibles screenplays in both categories? Because every year it’s a mystery. Is the Lego Movie adapted (preexisting brand) or original (story)? Same goes for films like Maleficent or Noah that are based on old stories/characters but with new plots or twists.
Where the hell is Birdman??
I would love to see Joe Hisaishi get a nomination one of these years.