Academy Awards
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences has announced updates to its 2025 Oscars key dates and schedule of events due to the impact of the Los Angeles-area fires. The Oscar telecast is still set for March 2, but the nominations announcement is being delayed for the second time to Jan. 23 — and will now be held virtually. The Oscars nominees luncheon, always an A-list event, will not be held this year.
“We are all devastated by the impact of the fires and the profound losses experienced by so many in our community,” Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy president Janet Yang said in a joint statement. “The Academy has always been a unifying force within the film industry, and we are committed to standing together in the face of hardship.
“Due to the still-active fires in the Los Angeles area, we feel it is necessary to extend our voting period and move the date of our nominations announcement to allow additional time for our members.
“Additionally, as we want to be sensitive to the infrastructure and lodging needs of the region in these next few weeks, it is imperative that we make some changes to our schedule of events, which we believe will have the support of our industry.
“Our members always share how important it is for us to come together as a community, and we are determined to use this opportunity to celebrate our resilient and compassionate industry. We also look forward to honoring our frontline workers who have aided with the fires, recognizing those impacted, and encouraging people to join the Academy in supporting the relief efforts.
“We will get through this together and bring a sense of healing to our global film community.”
Updates are outlined as follows:
The nominations voting period is extended through Friday, Jan. 17, at 5 p.m. PT. The voting window was originally set to close on Sunday, Jan. 12. That was pushed back to Tuesday, Jan. 14, before being pushed back again today.
The nominations announcement is rescheduled for Thursday, Jan. 23, at 5:30 a.m. PT. The live announcement will be a virtual event without in-person media coverage. The nominations were originally set to be announced on Friday, Jan. 17, which was pushed back to Sunday, Jan. 19, before being pushed back again today.
The Oscars nominees luncheon, scheduled for Monday, Feb. 10, will not be held this year.
The Scientific and Technical Awards, scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 18, will be rescheduled to a later date yet to be determined.
The Academy stresses that all dates are subject to change.
The 97th Oscars, hosted by Conan O’Brien for the first time, will still be held on Sunday, March 2, at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood and will be televised live at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on ABC, streamed live on Hulu and air live in more than 200 territories worldwide.
Due to the wind-whipped fires that have spread across the Los Angeles area in the last 24 hours, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences has extended the Oscar nominations voting window by two days and also delayed the announcement of the 97th annual Oscar nominations by two days. Academy CEO Bill Kramer wrote […]
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In December, Robbie Williams‘ film biopic Better Man (Paramount Pictures) was released in cinemas globally, telling the story of the British pop icon, albeit with Williams replaced by a CGI monkey.
The film covers Williams’ rise to fame as a teenager in pop band Take That, his decision to go solo in 1995, his various controversies and struggles with addiction, his recovery and time in the limelight. The film was directed and co-written by The Greatest Showman director Michael Gracey and divided critics and fans for its use of the CGI character instead of a traditional actor.
Better Man includes a number of Williams’ greatest hits including “Angels,” “Rock DJ,” and “She’s The One.” A new composition, “Forbidden Road,” is also featured in the movie, and last year was nominated for the Golden Globes as well as being shortlisted for best original song at the 2025 Oscars (March 2).
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That song, however, was eventually removed from the shortlist last month on the grounds that it incorporated material from an existing song that was not written for the film in which it appears. Williams co-wrote the song with Freddy Wexler and Sacha Skarbek, but the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences deemed that it shared similarities to “I Got a Name,” a 1973 ballad written by Norman Gimbel and Charles Fox for the Jeff Bridges film The Last American Hero. (The late Jim Croce had a top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 with the song.) In a statement to its members about the removal of the track, The Academy said: “This is a decision that both honors our rules and protects the special nature of the Original Song and Score categories.”
The song remained a nominee for best original song at Sunday night’s (Jan. 5) 82nd Golden Globes, where Williams walked the red carpet. Speaking to Deadline, he responded to the disqualification of the song from the Oscars shortlist. Watch the full interview below.
“Listen, the rules is the rules and you have to go by them. It would have been nice, but also as an introvert, it’s another party I don’t have to go to,” he said. “I went through it, I’m on the other side. It’s all good.”
Williams’ song lost the award at the Golden Globes to “El Mal,” co-written by Clément Ducol, Camille, and Jacques Audiard for the film Emilia Pérez, which also scooped best motion picture, musical or comedy.
Later this year, Williams will embark on a massive European tour and recently told NME that he was working on a new album which featured contributions from Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi.
Robbie Williams’ song “Forbidden Road” was removed from the 2025 Oscar shortlist for best original song on the grounds that song incorporates material from an existing song that was not written for the film in which it appears, Better Man (Paramount Pictures). Williams co-wrote the song with Freddy Wexler and Sacha Skarbek.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences will not replace the song on the shortlist. Members of the music branch will choose the five nominees from a shortlist of 14 songs, rather than the customary 15.
The song is nominated for a Golden Globe for best original song. It is still listed on the Globes site as a nominee, though it has already been removed from the list of shortlisted songs that appears on the Oscars site.
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Here’s the text of a letter sent to Academy’s music branch members from the branch’s executive committee, explaining the decision:
“Dear Music Branch members,
The shortlisted Original Song achievement, “Forbidden Road,” from the film BETTER MAN, incorporates material from an existing song that was not written for this film.
The Music Branch Executive Committee has met and reviewed materials. It was determined the achievement does not meet the 97th Awards Rules criteria for eligibility in the Original Song category: An original song consists of words and music, both of which are original and written specifically for the motion picture. [Rule Eighteen, Section 1-B].
Therefore, the song has been deemed ineligible for award consideration for the 97th Oscars and will be removed from the Academy’s shortlist in the Original Song category.
This is a decision that both honors our rules and protects the special nature of the Original Song and Score categories.
Sincerely,
The Music Branch Executive Committee”
The Oscars run a very tight ship. Eleven years ago, a nominated songwriter, Bruce Broughton, was overzealous in promoting his song, running afoul of Academy regulations. The Academy rescinded the nomination. The explanation of what happened still appears on the Oscar site all these years later: “After the nominations were announced on January 16, 2014, it was determined that Mr. Broughton had taken actions in promoting the song that were inconsistent with the Academy’s campaign regulations. The Board of Governors voted to rescind the nomination on January 29, and only four songs were included on the final ballot.”
Better Man will have a limited release opening on Christmas Day. It will go wide on Jan. 10. Williams is portrayed by a computer-generated monkey in this film about his life which was co-written, produced and directed by Michael Gracey.
Eno, a documentary about legendary British musician Brian Eno, is shortlisted for an Oscar for best documentary feature. Gary Hustwit directed the film.
Eno, 76, has won seven Grammys for producing records by U2 and Coldplay. In 1993, he and his partner Daniel Lanois won a Grammy for producer of the year (non-classical) in a tie with Babyface & L.A. Reid. Eno was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019 as a member of Roxy Music.
The documentary feature shortlist also includes Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat, a film about the political activities of jazz musicians Abbey Lincoln and Max Roach during the Cold War. Johan Grimonprez directed the film.
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Will & Harper, the Netflix film about a cross-country road trip starring Will Ferrell and Harper Steele is also on the shortlist. The film, directed by Josh Greenbaum, features Kristen Wiig’s “Harper and Will Go West,” which is shortlisted for best original song.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences released shortlists in 10 categories, including best original song, best original score and best documentary feature on Tuesday (Dec. 17).
A total of 169 features vied to make the shortlist for documentary feature film. Just 15 made it. Among the music-focused films that failed to make the shortlist: Elton John: Never Too Late; The Greatest Night in Pop, about the recording session that produced “We Are the World”; I Am: Celine Dion; Indigo Girls: It’s Only Life After All; Luther: Never Too Much (about Luther Vandross); Mad About the Boy – The Noel Coward Story; Music by John Williams; Piece by Piece, about and featuring music by Pharrell Williams; and The World According to Allee Willis.
Also passed over: Following Harry, about Harry Belafonte’s social justice work; Studio One Forever (about the L.A. nightclub that is described as “America’s first gay disco”) and Flipside (about a comical attempt to save a New Jersey record store).
Here’s a complete list of this year’s 15 shortlisted films for documentary (feature).
Shortlisted Films
The Bibi FilesBlack Box DiariesDahomeyDaughtersEnoFridaHollywoodgateNo Other LandPorcelain WarQueendomThe Remarkable Life of IbelinSoundtrack to a Coup d’EtatSugarcaneUnionWill & Harper
Nominations-round voting runs from Jan. 8-12. Nominations will be announced Jan. 17. Final-round voting runs from Feb. 11-18. The 97th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 2 at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood and will be televised live on ABC and in more than 200 territories worldwide. The show will also stream live on Hulu for the first time.
Two composing teams are on the Oscar shortlist for best original score, along with 18 individual composers.
Clément Ducol and Camille are shortlisted for their work on Emilia Pérez (Netflix); Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross are shortlisted for Challengers. A second Reznor/Ross score, Queer, didn’t make the cut. The Nine Inch Nails members have won two Oscars in this category, for The Social Network and Soul, the latter a collaboration with Jon Batiste.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences released shortlists in 10 categories, including best original score, best original song, and best documentary feature on Tuesday (Dec. 17). The number of shortlisted scores jumped from 15 to 20 this year, on the grounds that there are so many entries in this category. This year, 145 scores were eligible in the category, compared to 89 songs in the best original song category. (The number of shortlisted songs remained at 15.)
Hans Zimmer in on the score shortlist for his work on Steve McQueen’s Blitz. Zimmer might have had two scores on the shortlist, but his score for Dune: Part Two was ruled ineligible due to exceeding the Academy’s limit on pre-existing music. Academy rules state: “In cases such as sequels and franchises from any media, the score must not use more than 20% of pre-existing themes and music borrowed from previous scores in the franchise.” Zimmer’s score for Dune: Part Two incorporates substantial elements from his Oscar-winning score for 2021’s Dune.
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Dune: Part Two was nominated for both a Golden Globe and a Critics Choice Award for best original score. The other scores that are nominated for those two awards were all shortlisted for Oscars – Daniel Blumberg’s The Brutalist, Reznor & Ross’ Challengers, Volker Bertelmann’s Conclave, Ducol & Camille’s Emilia Pérez and Kris Bowers’ The Wild Robot.
John Powell’s score for Wicked made the shortlist. The film is closing in on Mamma Mia! as the top-grossing film ever adapted from a Broadway musical.
Andrea Datzman is shortlisted for Inside Out 2. With this release, Datzman became the first woman to score a Pixar feature film.
Here’s a complete list of this year’s 20 shortlisted scores for best original score:
Shortlisted
Alien: Romulus (20th Century Studios) – Benjamin Wallfisch
Babygirl (A24) – Critobal Tapia de Veer
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (Warner Bros. Pictures) – Danny Elfman
Blink Twice (Amazon MGM Studios) – Chanda Dancy
Blitz (Apple Original Films) — Hans Zimmer
The Brutalist (A24) — Daniel Blumberg
Challengers (Amazon MGM) — Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
Conclave (Focus Features) — Volker Bertelmann
Emilia Pérez (Netflix) — Clément Ducol, Camille
The Fire Inside (Amazon MGM) — Tamar-kali
Gladiator II (Paramount Pictures) — Harry Gregson-Williams
Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 1 (New Line Cinema) – John Debney
Inside Out 2 (Pixar) — Andrea Datzman
Nosferatu (Focus Features) – Robin Carolan
The Room Next Door (Sony Pictures Classics) — Alberto Iglesias
Sing Sing (A24) — Bryce Dessner
The Six Triple Eight (Netflix) – Aaron Zigman
Wicked (Universal Pictures) – John Powell
The Wild Robot (DreamWorks Animation) — Kris Bowers
Young Woman and the Sea (Walt Disney Pictures) — Amelia Warner
And here are some of the highly-touted scores that were passed over for the shortlist.
Not Shortlisted
Deadpool & Wolverine (Marvel Studios) — Rob Simonsen
Drive-Away Dolls (Focus Features) — Carter Burwell
Flow (Janus Films/Sideshow) — Gints Zilbalodis, Rihards Zalupe
Hard Truths (Bleecker Street) — Gary Yershon
Here (Sony Pictures) — Alan Silvestri
IF (Paramount Pictures) — Michael Giacchino
I’m Still Here (Sony Pictures Classics) — Warren Ellis
Memoir of a Snail (IFC Films) — Elena Kats-Chernin
Mufasa: The Lion King (Walt Disney Pictures) — Nicholas Britell, Dave Metzger, Pharrell Williams
Moana 2 (Walt Disney Pictures) — Mark Mancina, Opetaia Foaʻi
The Piano Lesson (Netflix) — Alexandre Desplat
Queer (A24) — Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
Saturday Night (Sony Pictures) — Jon Batiste
September 5 (Paramount Pictures) — Lorenz Dangel
The Substance (Mubi) — Raffertie
Transformers One (Paramount Pictures) — Brian Tyler
We Live in Time (A24) — Bryce Dessner
Nominations-round voting runs from Jan. 8-12. Nominations will be announced Jan. 17. Final-round voting runs from Feb. 11-18. The 97th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 2 at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood and will be televised live on ABC and in more than 200 territories worldwide. The show will also stream live on Hulu for the first time.
For the first time since the Oscars were first televised in 1953, the 2025 edition of the granddaddy of all award shows will stream live on Hulu for all subscribers, in addition to airing live on ABC. Many award shows, even those still airing on broadcast networks, have taken on streaming partners in recent years. […]
Numerous music documentaries are among 169 features that are vying for Oscar nominations for documentary feature film.
Music docs on the entry list include Elton John: Never Too Late; Eno (about Brian Eno); I Am: Celine Dion; Indigo Girls: It’s Only Life After All; Luther: Never Too Much (about Luther Vandross); Mad About the Boy – The Noel Coward Story; Music by John Williams; Piece by Piece (about Pharrell Williams); and The World According to Allee Willis.
John Williams is a five-time Oscar winner for his scores. Pharrell Williams has been nominated twice – best original song for “Happy from Despicable Me 2 and as a producer of best picture nominee Hidden Figures. Elton John is a two-time Oscar-winner for best original song.
The Greatest Night in Pop, the Netflix film about the 1985 recording session that produced “We Are the World,” is also on the eligible list. The much-decorated film was nominated for a Primetime Emmy for outstanding documentary or nonfiction special and is a current Grammy nominee for best music film.
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Also eligible: Following Harry, about Harry Belafonte’s social justice work; Studio One Forever (about the L.A. nightclub that is described as “America’s first gay disco”) and Flipside (about a comical attempt to save a New Jersey record store).
Non-music, but music-adjacent, docs that are eligible in the category include Bob Mackie: Naked Illusion, Jim Henson Idea Man and Remembering Gene Wilder.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences notes that “Some of the films have not yet had their required qualifying release and must fulfill that requirement and comply with all the category’s other qualifying rules to advance in the voting process.”
Members of the documentary branch vote to determine the shortlist and the nominees. The shortlist of 15 films will be announced on Tuesday, Dec. 17.
The Academy also announced feature films eligible for consideration in the animated feature film and international feature film categories.
Thirty-one features are eligible for consideration in the animated feature film category. To determine the five nominees, members of the Animation Branch are automatically eligible to vote in the category. Academy members outside of the Animation Branch are invited to opt in to participate and must meet a minimum viewing requirement to be eligible to vote in the category.
Eighty-five countries or regions have submitted films that are eligible for consideration in the international feature film category. An international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture (more than 40 minutes) produced outside the U.S. with a predominantly non-English dialogue track. Academy members from all branches are invited to opt in to participate in the preliminary round of voting and must meet a minimum viewing requirement to be eligible to vote in the category.
Preliminary voting for the 97th Academy Awards will begin on Monday, Dec. 9, and end on Friday, Dec. 13. Shortlists in select categories will be announced on Tuesday, Dec. 17. Nominations will be announced on Friday, Jan. 17.The 97th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 2, at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood, and will be televised live on ABC and in more than 200 territories worldwide.
When the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences releases its Academy Award shortlists in 10 categories on Dec. 17, the most immediately obvious change from past years will be that the number of shortlisted scores will jump from 15 to 20. The best song shortlist will remain at 15.
Nominations-round voting runs Jan. 8-12, and nominations will be announced Jan. 17. Final-round voting runs Feb. 11-18, and the 2025 Oscars will be held March 2. Billboard highlights some of the potential nominees in the best original song and best original score categories below.
“Forbidden Road”Sacha Skarbek, Freddy Wexler, Robbie WilliamsBetter Man, Paramount
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Better Man is a biographical film about British pop star Williams, who is portrayed as a chimpanzee through use of motion capture. All three co-writers are past Grammy Award nominees. Skarbek was nominated for song of the year for co-writing James Blunt’s “You’re Beautiful”; Wexler for album of the year for his songwriting contributions to the deluxe edition of Justin Bieber’s Justice; and Williams for a pair of music videos.
“Winter Coat”Nicholas Britell, Steve McQueen, Taura StinsonBlitz, Apple Original Films
Stinson was previously nominated in this category for co-writing “Mighty River” from Mudbound. If she’s nominated again, she’ll tie Siedah Garrett as the Black woman with the most nods in this category. Britell is a three-time nominee for best original score. Blitz director McQueen won a best picture Oscar as a producer on his film 12 Years a Slave in 2013.
“Never Too Late”Elton John, Brandi Carlile, Andrew Watt, Bernie TaupinElton John: Never Too Late, Walt Disney Pictures
John is a two-time winner of best original song for “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” from The Lion King and “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” from Rocketman. Taupin was a co-winner on the latter. Carlile has received four Grammy nods for song of the year, John has received two and Watt one. John’s victory lap also includes an EGOT-clinching Emmy win for Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium.
“El Mal”Clément Ducol, Camille Dalmais, Jacques AudiardEmilia Pérez, Netflix
Ducol and his personal and professional partner, Dalmais, composed the score and collaborated on the songs for this film. Audiard, the film’s writer, director and co-producer, joined them in writing this song. The film premiered in May at the Cannes Film Festival, where the couple won the soundtrack award. In addition to her film work, Dalmais has recorded five albums in her native France.
“Mi Camino”Clément Ducol, Camille DalmaisEmilia Pérez, Netflix
Emilia Pérez is one of three films with a reasonably good chance of placing two songs on the best original song shortlist. Piece by Piece and Twisters could also do it. Last year, three films had multiple songs on the shortlist: Barbie led with three (two of which went on to be nominated), and The Color Purple and Flora and Son each had two.
“Beautiful That Way”Miley Cyrus, Lykke Li, Andrew WyattThe Last Showgirl, Roadside Attractions
Wyatt won in this category in 2019 for co-writing “Shallow” from A Star Is Born. He was nominated at this year’s Oscars for co-writing “I’m Just Ken” from Barbie. Wyatt has received three Grammy nods for song of the year for co-writing “Shallow,” Bruno Mars’ “Grenade” and Dua Lipa’s “Dance the Night.” Cyrus was nominated in that category at the 2024 ceremony for “Flowers.” This would be her first Oscar nod.
“Beyond”Abigail Barlow, Emily BearMoana 2, Walt Disney Pictures
Songwriter-composer duo Barlow & Bear won a Grammy in 2021 for best musical theater album for The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical. This would be the first song by an all-woman team to be nominated in this category since the Diane Warren-Laura Pausini collaboration “Io sì (Seen)” from The Life Ahead four years ago. Lin-Manuel Miranda was nominated in this category for writing “How Far I’ll Go” from the first Moana, released in 2016.
“I Always Wanted a Brother”Lin-Manuel MirandaMufasa: The Lion King, Walt Disney Pictures
Miranda has been just an Oscar away from an EGOT since 2014, when he won his first Primetime Emmy. He has been Oscar-nominated twice for writing “How Far I’ll Go” from Moana and “Dos Oruguitas” from Encanto. None of the songs from the 2019 reboot of The Lion King were nominated, but three were from the 1994 original, all written by Elton John and Tim Rice.
“For Real”Pharrell WilliamsPiece by Piece, Focus Features
Piece by Piece is an animated film co-produced and directed by Morgan Neville, who won an Oscar for best documentary (feature) in 2014 for directing 20 Feet From Stardom. It follows the life and career of Williams, who stars in the film, through the lens of Lego animation. The movie also features the voices of Gwen Stefani, Kendrick Lamar, Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, Busta Rhymes, Jay-Z and Snoop Dogg.
“Piece by Piece”Pharrell WilliamsPiece by Piece, Focus Features
Williams was nominated for best original song for “Happy” from 2013’s Despicable Me 2. The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 10 weeks after he performed it at the 2014 Oscars. He received a second Oscar nod three years later as a producer of best picture nominee Hidden Figures. Williams has amassed 39 Grammy nods, including one for song of the year for co-writing Kendrick Lamar’s “Alright.”
“The Journey”Diane WarrenThe Six Triple Eight, Netflix
If Warren is nominated, she’ll tie midcentury lyricist Sammy Cahn for the longest streak of consecutive nominations (eight) in the history of the category. (Cahn was a contender every year from 1954 to 1961.) This would be Warren’s 16th overall nod in this category, more than any other woman. Among women, she’s currently tied with the late Marilyn Bergman.
“Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma”Jessi Alexander, Luke Combs, Jonathan SingletonTwisters, Universal
All three co-writers have received Grammy nods for best country song — Alexander for co-writing Blake Shelton’s “Mine Would Be You” and Lee Brice’s “I Drive Your Truck,” Combs for co-writing his own hit “Doin’ This” and Singleton for co-writing Tim McGraw’s “Diamond Rings and Old Barstools.” Twisters: The Album reached No. 3 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart and No. 7 on the Billboard 200.
“Out of Oklahoma”Lainey Wilson, Luke Dick, Shane McAnallyTwisters, Universal
McAnally is a two-time Grammy winner for best country song for co-writing the Kacey Musgraves hits “Merry Go ’Round” and “Space Cowboy.” Last year, he received a Grammy nod for songwriter of the year, non-classical. Dick was nominated for best country song for co-writing Miranda Lambert’s “Bluebird.” Wilson’s Bell Bottom Country won a Grammy for best country album in February.
“Kiss the Sky”Delacey, Jordan Johnson, Stefan Johnson, Maren Morris, Michael Pollack, Ali TamposiThe Wild Robot, DreamWorks Animation
Pollack received a Grammy nod for song of the year for co-writing Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers.” The Johnson brothers were nominated in that category for co-writing the Zedd, Maren Morris and Grey smash “The Middle”; Tamposi for co-writing Kelly Clarkson’s “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You).” Morris has received five Grammy nods for best country song. Singer-songwriter Delacey has written such hits as Halsey’s “Without Me,” which topped the Hot 100 in 2019.
“Harper and Will Go West”Sean Douglas, Kristen Wiig, Josh GreenbaumWill & Harper, Netflix
Wiig was an Oscar nominee for best original screenplay for co-writing the 2011 smash Bridesmaids. She co-wrote four songs for the 2021 film Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar. Douglas received a Grammy nod for best country song for co-writing the Thomas Rhett hit “Die a Happy Man.” Greenbaum directed and co-produced this film, which stars Will Ferrell and Harper Steele.
Alien: Romulus (20th Century Studios)Benjamin Wallfisch
This would be Wallfisch’s first Oscar nod. He received Grammy and Golden Globe nods for Hidden Figures and BAFTA and Grammy nods for Blade Runner 2049. Alien: Romulus is part of the Alien franchise, set between the events of Alien (1979) and Aliens (1986). Fun fact: Wallfisch was born less than three months after the release of the first Alien.
Blitz (Apple Original Films)Hans Zimmer
Zimmer has received 12 nominations in this category across five decades. He won for The Lion King (1994) and Dune (2021). Steve McQueen wrote, produced and directed Blitz, a historical war drama. The film stars four-time Oscar nominee Saoirse Ronan, Harris Dickinson and Elliot Heffernan in his film debut. Following a theatrical run, Blitz is set for a streaming release on Apple TV+ on Nov. 22.
The Brutalist (A24)Daniel Blumberg
This would be the first nomination for Blumberg, an English artist, musician, songwriter and composer. The Brutalist stars Adrien Brody as Hungarian Jewish architect László Tóth, who survives the Holocaust and constructs a new life in America. The film, which also stars Felicity Jones and Guy Pearce, is scheduled to be released in the United States on Dec. 20.
Challengers (Amazon MGM)Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross
Reznor and Ross have received three nominations in this category, winning for The Social Network (2010) and Soul (2020), the latter a collaboration with Jon Batiste. In addition, they have jointly won an Emmy, two Grammys and two Golden Globes for their scoring work. Luca Guadagnino directed Challengers, about the love triangle between a tennis coach (Zendaya), her tennis player ex-boyfriend (Josh O’Connor) and her tennis champion husband (Mike Faist).
Conclave (Focus Features)Volker Bertelmann
Bertelmann won in this category for 2022’s All Quiet on the Western Front. He was previously nominated for Lion, on which he collaborated with Dustin O’Halloran. Conclave is a mystery-thriller directed by Edward Berger, who also directed All Quiet on the Western Front. In this film, a cardinal played by Ralph Fiennes organizes a papal conclave to elect the next pope. The film also stars Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow and Isabella Rossellini.
Emilia Pérez (Netflix)Clément Ducol, Camille Dalmais
Emilia Pérez premiered in May at the Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Jury Prize and its stars (Karla Sofía Gascón, Selena Gomez, Adriana Paz and Zoe Saldaña) jointly won the best actress award. Pathé released the film theatrically in August. It was selected as the French entry for best international feature film at the upcoming Oscars.
The Fire Inside (Amazon MGM)Tamar-kali
This would be the first nod for Tamar-kali, whose previous scores include Mudbound and the documentaries John Lewis: Good Trouble and Little Richard: I Am Everything. The Fire Inside, which tells the story of professional boxer Claressa “T-Rex” Shields (played by Ryan Destiny) as she trains for the 2012 Summer Olympics, is set for release on Christmas Day. The film marks Rachel Morrison’s feature directorial debut.
Gladiator II (Paramount Pictures)Harry Gregson-Williams
This would be Gregson-Williams’ first nod. Hans Zimmer was nominated for scoring the original 2000 film, which won five Oscars including best picture. Ridley Scott directed both the original movie and this long-awaited sequel, which stars Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal and Denzel Washington — but not Russell Crowe, who won the best actor Oscar for the first film. Gladiator II is scheduled to be released in the United States on Nov. 22.
The Goat Life (Netflix)A.R. Rahman
Rahman won for scoring Slumdog Millionaire (2008) and was nominated again two years later for 127 Hours. The Goat Life was written, directed and co-produced by Blessy. The film is an international co-production involving companies in India and the United States. It’s an adaptation of the 2008 Malayalam novel Aadujeevitham, which is based on the real-life story of Najeeb, a Malayali immigrant laborer in the Gulf.
Here (Sony Pictures)Alan Silvestri
Silvestri was nominated for scoring 1994’s Forrest Gump, that year’s best picture winner. This film reunites the director (Robert Zemeckis), screenwriter (Eric Roth) and stars (Tom Hanks and Robin Wright) of that film. Silvestri was also nominated for best original song for co-writing “Believe” from yet another Hanks film, The Polar Express. Here depicts a single home and its inhabitants over time.
From left: Ryan Reynolds in IF, Inside Out 2, Zendaya in Challengers, Lady Gaga in Joker: Folie à Deux and The Wild Robot.
illustrations by Klawe Rzeczy
IF (Paramount Pictures)Michael Giacchino
Giacchino was nominated for scoring Ratatouille (2007) and won two years later for Up. John Krasinski wrote, directed, co-produced and co-starred in IF, which combines live-action and animation. The cast also features Cailey Fleming, Ryan Reynolds and Fiona Shaw. The film’s soundtrack includes a pair of pop classics, Tina Turner’s “Better Be Good to Me” and Nat “King” Cole’s “L-O-V-E.”
Inside Out 2 (Pixar)Andrea Datzman
With this release, Datzman became the first woman to score a Pixar feature film. This would be her first Oscar nomination. Datzman previously composed the music for the Pixar short Carl’s Date (2023) and co-scored the studio’s animated-shorts series Dug Days (2021) with Curtis Green. The first Inside Out (scored by Michael Giacchino) received two Oscar nods but was passed over in this category.
Joker: Folie à Deux (Warner Bros.)Hildur Guðnadóttir
Hildur won for scoring the first Joker. This sequel bombed at the box office and critics generally panned it, but the film’s music earned praise. If Hildur’s score is nominated, she would become the third woman to receive two or more nods in scoring categories, following Rachel Portman (who leads with three) and Angela Morley (who had two nods in the defunct original song score or adaptation score category).
Nickel Boys (Amazon MGM/Orion)Alex Somers, Scott Alario
This would be the first nomination for Somers and Alario, who were members of the Icelandic experimental duo Parachutes that recorded two albums and an EP in the 2000s. Nickel Boys is based on the 2019 novel of the same name by Colson Whitehead. RaMell Ross directed and co-wrote the film, which follows two African American boys, Elwood and Turner, who are sent to an abusive reform school in 1960s Florida.
Nosferatu (Focus Features)Robin Carolan
This would be Carolan’s first nod. Nosferatu is a gothic horror film written and directed by Robert Eggers. It’s a remake of a 1922 German film, which was in turn based on Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel Dracula. The film stars Bill Skarsgård, Nicholas Hoult, Lily-Rose Depp, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin and Willem Dafoe. Nosferatu is scheduled for theatrical release in the United States on Christmas Day.
The Piano Lesson (Netflix)Alexandre Desplat
Desplat has amassed 11 nominations in this category, winning for The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) and The Shape of Water (2017). The Piano Lesson is an adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning 1987 play by August Wilson. It stars Samuel L. Jackson, John David Washington and Erykah Badu. Washington is the brother of the film’s director, Malcolm Washington (who is making his feature directorial debut). Their father is two-time Oscar-winning actor Denzel Washington.
Queer A24Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross
If Reznor and Ross are nominated for both Challengers and Queer, it would be the second time they were double-nominated in this category. They were in contention for both Soul and Mank four years ago. Luca Guadagnino directed Queer, which is based on a 1985 novel of the same name by William S. Burroughs. Set in 1950s Mexico City, the film stars Daniel Craig and Drew Starkey.
The Room Next Door (Sony Pictures Classics)Alberto Iglesias
Iglesias has garnered four nominations in this category for The Constant Gardener (2005), The Kite Runner (2007), Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011) and Parallel Mothers (2021). The Room Next Door marks his 14th collaboration with director Pedro Almodóvar. This film is Almodóvar’s first full-length feature in the English language and scheduled for a limited release in the United States on Dec. 20.
Saturday Night (Sony Pictures)Jon Batiste
Batiste won in this category for 2020’s Soul, a collaboration with Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. He was nominated for best original song last year for co-writing “It Never Went Away” from American Symphony. Saturday Night, directed by Jason Reitman, recounts the night of the 1975 premiere of NBC’s Saturday Night (as Saturday Night Live was originally called). In addition to scoring the film, Batiste plays Billy Preston, who performed on that first episode.
The Wild Robot (DreamWorks Animation)Kris Bowers
Bowers has received two Oscar nominations but not in music categories. He was nominated for best documentary short film for A Concerto Is a Conversation (2020) and won in that category for The Last Repair Shop (2023). Chris Sanders, a three-time Oscar nominee for best animated feature film, wrote and directed The Wild Robot, which features the voices of Lupita Nyong’o, Pedro Pascal and Catherine O’Hara.
Additional reporting by Melinda Newman.
This story appears in the Nov. 16, 2024, issue of Billboard.