Frontrunners for 2023 Best Score Oscar so far? (2024)

Ludwig Göransson — “Oppenheimer” (Universal Pictures)
Robbie Robertson— “Killers of the Flower Moon” (Apple Original Films/Paramount Pictures)
Jerskin Fendrix — “Poor Things” (Searchlight Pictures)
Michael Giacchino — “Society of the Snow” (Netflix)
Kris Bowers — “Origin” (Neon)

NEXT IN LINE
Daniel Pemberton — “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” (Sony Pictures)
Laura Karpman — “American Fiction” (MGM)
Anthony Willis— “Saltburn” (Amazon MGM Studios)
Christopher Bear, Daniel Rossen — “Past Lives” (A24)
Thomas Newman – “Elemental” (Pixar)

OTHER TOP-TIER POSSIBILITIES
Mica Levi — “The Zone of Interest” (A24)
Hans Zimmer — “The Creator” (20th Century Studios)
John Williams — “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” (Walt Disney Pictures)
Joe Hisaishi — “The Boy and the Heron” (GKids)
David Metzger — “Wish” (Walt Disney Pictures)
Alexandre Desplat – “Asteroid City” (Focus Features)
Martin Phipps — “Napoleon” (Apple Original Films/Sony Pictures)
Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross — “The Killer” (Netflix)
Daniel Pemberton — “Ferrari” (Neon)
Emilie Levienaise-Farrouch — “All of Us Strangers” (Searchlight Pictures)

ALSO IN CONTENTION
Hans Zimmer — “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” (Lionsgate)
Alexandre Desplat — “Nyad” (Netflix)
Branford Marsalis — “Rustin” (Netflix)
Richard Reed Parry — “The Iron Claw” (A24)
Will Bates — “Dumb Money” (Sony Pictures)
Kris Bowers — “The Color Purple” (Warner Bros.)
Phoenix — “Priscilla” (A24)
Hildur Guðnadóttir — “A Haunting in Venice” (20th Century Studios)
Philip Glass, Paul Leonard-Morgan — “The Pigeon Tunnel” (Apple Original Films)
Marcelo Zarvos — “Flamin’ Hot” (Hulu/Searchlight Pictures)

ALL ELIGIBLE TITLES (ALPHABETIZED BY STUDIO)**
“A Haunting in Venice” (20th Century Studios) — Hildur Guðnadóttir
“The Creator” (20th Century Studios) — Hans Zimmer
“Beau is Afraid” (A24) — Bobby Krlic
“The Iron Claw” (A24) — Richard Reed Parry
“Past Lives” (A24) — Christopher Bear, Daniel Rossen
“Priscilla” (A24) — Phoenix
“The Zone of Interest” (A24) — Mica Levi
“The Burial” (Amazon MGM Studios) — Michael Abels
“Cassandro” (Amazon MGM Studios) — Marcelo Zarvos
“Saltburn” (Amazon MGM Studios) — Anthony Willis
“Fingernails” (Apple Original Films) — Christopher Stracey
“Flora and Son” (Apple Original Films) — Gary Clark, John Carney
“Killers of the Flower Moon” (Apple Original Films/Paramount Pictures) — Robbie Robertson
“Napoleon” (Apple Original Films/Sony Pictures) — Martin Phipps
“The Pigeon Tunnel” (Apple Original Films) — Philip Glass, Paul Leonard-Morgan
“Golda” (Bleecker Street) — Dascha Dauenhauer
“Asteroid City” (Focus Features) — Alexandre Desplat
“The Boy and the Heron” (GKids) — Joe Hisaishi
“BlackBerry” (IFC Films) — Jay McCarrol
“Flamin’ Hot” (Hulu/Searchlight Pictures) — Marcelo Zarvos
“Story Ave” (Kino Lorber) — Pierre Charles
“Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” (Lionsgate) — Hans Zimmer
“The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” (Lionsgate) — James Newton Howard
“Joy Ride” (Lionsgate) — Nathan Matthew David
“Kokomo City” (Magnolia Pictures) — D. Smith
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” (Marvel Studios) — John Murphy
“The Marvels” (Marvel Studios) — Laura Karpman
“American Fiction” (MGM) — Laura Karpman
“The Mission” (National Geographic) — Danny Bensi, Saunder Jurriaans
“Eileen” (Neon) — Richard Reed Parry
“American Symphony” (Netflix) – Jon Batiste
“The Deepest Breath” (Netflix) – Nainita Desai
“Fair Play” (Netflix) — Brian McOmber
“The Killer” (Netflix) — Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross
“Leave the World Behind” (Netflix) — Mac Quayle
“Nyad” (Netflix) — Alexandre Desplat
“Rebel Moon” (Netflix) — Tom Holkenborg
“Rustin” (Netflix) — Branford Marsalis
“Society of the Snow” (Netflix) — Michael Giacchino
“Origin” (Neon) — Kris Bowers
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” (Paramount Pictures) — Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross
“Elemental” (Pixar) — Thomas Newman
“Somewhere in Queens” (Roadside Attractions) — Mark Orton
“All of Us Strangers” (Searchlight Pictures) — Emilie Levienaise-Farrouch
“Next Goal Wins” (Searchlight Pictures) — Michael Giacchino
“Poor Things” (Searchlight Pictures) — Jerskin Fendrix
“Dumb Money” (Sony Pictures) — Will Bates
“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” (Sony Pictures) — Daniel Pemberton
“A Little Prayer” (Sony Pictures Classics) — Greg Danner
“The Teachers Lounge” (Sony Pictures Classics) — Marvin Miller
“Ferrari” (Neon) — Daniel Pemberton
“Oppenheimer” (Universal Pictures) — Ludwig Göransson
“She Came to Me” (Vertical Entertainment) — Bryce Dessner
“Barbie” (Warner Bros.) — Mark Ronson, Andrew Wyatt
“Blue Beetle” (Warner Bros.) — Bobby Krlic
“The Color Purple” (Warner Bros.) — Kris Bowers
“Wonka” (Warner Bros.) — Joby Talbot
“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” (Walt Disney Pictures) — John Williams
“The Little Mermaid” (Walt Disney Pictures) — Alan Menken
“Wish” (Walt Disney Pictures) — David Metzger

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But Elemental (Thomas Newman) is by far the best score of the year, at least so far, and I have a hard time thinking of something from the remainder of the year that could knock it off its throne as the best score of the year. It will be interesting to see if Elemental will get a nomination. I'm certain that it will make it to the shortlist at least.

Even though I don't think the Robertson score is THAT strong, it would be an interesting winner. What are the previous instances of posthumous Oscars for composers (not an honorary Oscar, but an actual film award)?

Even though I don't think the Robertson score is THAT strong, it would be an interesting winner. What are the previous instances of posthumous Oscars for composers (not an honorary Oscar, but an actual film award)?

I'm not sure. I can only think of Victor Young, who posthumously won the Oscar after having been the most nominated composer at that point without a win.

By the way, if Thomas Newman gets a nomination for Elemental and loses, he will be the most nominated composer ever without having won I think. Right now, I believe that he is tied with Alex North for most nominations (15) without a win.

Anyway, I don't really care about Oscars anymore, not even the Best Original Score award. Oscar history has already showed us how rarely they manage to give the awards to the really lasting movies or music.

Killers of the Flower Moon is another terrific movie but the score doesn't hurt nor help the film. In my opinoon all it does is cover some silent moments but otherwise it could have been left off and the film wouldn't have lost anything.

Of the films that have been released only Daniel Pemberton's Spider-man and maybe John Williams' Indiana Jones score are deserving of a nomination as far as I'm concerned. Hopefully there will be some really good scores in the yet to be released films.

My personal favourites are most likely not eligible. That would be Farzin Gharahgozloo's Georges Delerue inspired score for the Iranian In the Form of Love (despite being shown in some festivals it doesn't even have an IMDB entry yet) and Anne Chlemewsky's score for the documentary Maestra.

Yup.

It's been a bad year for cinema anyhow, and the Academy has been dumb for years no matter the category.

But I have to say that "Barbie" and "Super Mario Bros" are just plain fun scores.

Thanks!

1. Best Original Score is usually a pity consolation award and it looks like Scorsese's feature not gonna win the big ones. I think this will accompany best actress for Lily Gladstone which already has it on her bag.

2. Robbie Robertson just passed away, this would be a nice way to honor his work for cinema and music in general.

3. Sometime ago this would be a score that never would had past the shortlist (and neither be nominated) but you know in last years the Academy had changed A LOT. Just take a look: Santaolalla, Arcade Fire, Mica Levi, Son Lux... I mean, there are new voters whom are changing the rules of what a "best original score" is and that means more pop/rock artist competing for the prize and more chances for indie projects. In the 90's this score would never had been nominated but today, as Bob Dylan sings "Things Have Changed".

About the rest, I would say OPPENHEIMER is the only lock at this time but I am pretty sure (as good as the score is) it will get just the nomination.

Not really the best score.

Not really the best score.

Bingo! It's not rocket science to put these stupid pre-Oscar prediction lists together.

-Erik-