The fifteen finalists for Best Original Score are here, and I always enjoy this time of year because I have a constant playlist going whenever I’m not watching something so that I can familiarize myself with all the cited scores. I had hoped Benedetta (listen to this track) would make the finalist list, and also thought that Last Night in Soho (here’s the main theme) would be here, but overall it’s a decent list and worth indulging in to choose your five favourites. But for now, check out a track from (almost) every shortlisted film as well as some relevant stats for the composer behind them. For reference: a composer appearing twice on this list is not uncommon. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross beat themselves last year, triumphing for Soul (with Jon Batiste) over Mank...
Being the Ricardos
Daniel Pemberton (1 nomination)
Pemberton contended last year for an original song from The Trial of the Chicago 7. He’s been on the shortlist three years in a row now, last year for that film and before that for Motherless Brooklyn.
Candyman
Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe (never nominated)
This is this year’s big surprise inclusion. Another horror film, The Invisible Man, made this list last year but wasn’t nominated.
Don’t Look Up
Nicholas Britell (2 nominations)
Though Britell has only ever been nominated for collaborations with Barry Jenkins, he was on the shortlist for his previous project with Adam McKay, Vice, in 2018.
Dune
Hans Zimmer (11 nominations, 1 win)
Zimmer’s only win was for The Lion King back in 1994. His last three nominations have come from Christopher Nolan movies. He’s also on the shortlist this year for No Time to Die (see more below).
Encanto
Germaine Franco (never nominated)
While Soul won this prize last year, the most recent animated musical to make the shortlist was Frozen 2 and the last musical nominated was Mary Poppins Returns.
The French Dispatch
Alexandre Desplat (11 nominations, 2 wins)
Three of Desplat’s nominations have come from Wes Anderson collaborations. The shortlist uses the full title of his film: The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun.
The Green Knight
Daniel Hart (never nominated)
Hart is a bit of a surprise here. I know many are enthusiastic but this film just was not for me.
The Harder They Fall
Jeymes Samuel (never nominated)
This is the first composer credit for Samuel, who also wrote and directed his film and is on the song shortlist for Guns Go Bang.
King Richard
Kris Bowers (1 nomination, but not in this category)
A director of last year’s Oscar-nominated documentary short A Concerto is a Conversation, Bowers also composed the score for Respect, which made the song shortlist.
The Last Duel
Harry Gregson-Williams (never nominated)
Gregson-Williams also worked on Ridley Scott’s other film this year, House of Gucci, and was on the shortlist last year for Mulan.
No Time to Die
Hans Zimmer (11 nominations, 1 win)
Zimmer is also on the shortlist for Dune. James Bond has only been nominated in this category twice: for Skyfall and The Spy Who Loved Me.
Parallel Mothers
Alberto Iglesias (3 nominations)
Iglesias was on the shortlist for his previous collaboration with Pedro Almodóvar, Pain & Glory. His most recent bid was for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy in 2011.
The Power of the Dog & Spencer
Jonny Greenwood (1 nomination)
One of Greenwood’s most famous scores, There Will Be Blood, was declared ineligible in this category. The same goes for his third movie this year, Licorice Pizza.
The Tragedy of Macbeth
Carter Burwell (2 nominations)
Despite having scored almost all of the Coen Brothers’ films, including Fargo and A Serious Man, Burwell’s two nominations have been for different projects, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and Carol.
Which do you like best of this bunch, and what trivia do you have to add about these composers?