Music (Original Score)
Nominees:
| “All Quiet on the Western Front” — Volker Bertelmann |
| “Avatar: The Way of Water” — Simon Franglen |
| “Babylon” — Justin Hurwitz |
| “The Banshees of Inisherin” — Carter Burwell |
| “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” — Ludwig Göransson |
| “Devotion” — Chanda Dancy |
| “Don’t Worry Darling” — John Powell |
| “Everything Everywhere All at Once” — Son Lux |
| “The Fabelmans” — John Williams |
| “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” — Nathan Johnson |
| Guillermo del Toro’s “Pinocchio” — Alexandre Desplat |
| “Nope” — Michael Abels |
| “She Said” — Nicholas Britell |
| “The Woman King” — Terence Blanchard |
| “Women Talking” — Hildur Guðnadóttir |
Per the Academy’s press release:
15 scores will advance in the Original Score category for the 95th Academy Awards. 147 scores were eligible in the category. Members of the Music Branch vote to determine the shortlist and the nominees.
Each shortlist is determined by members of that corresponding branch, except for International Feature Film. (Members from all branches are invited to participate in the preliminary round of voting and must meet a minimum viewing requirement to be eligible to vote in the category.)
The nominations for the 95th Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023, while the Oscars ceremony will be held on Sunday, March 12, 2023, at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood and will be televised live on ABC and in more than 200 territories worldwide.
OSCAR NOMINATION PREDICTIONS
“Babylon”
Justin Hurwitz
Paramount Pictures
“The Banshees of Inisherin”
Carter Burwell
Searchlight Pictures
“The Fabelmans”
John Williams
Universal Pictures
Guillermo del Toro’s “Pinocchio”
Alexandre Desplat
Netflix
“Women Talking”
Hildur Guðnadóttir
MGM / United Artists Releasing
WHY I CHOSE THOSE FIVE?
With “The Banshees of Inisherin” and “The Fabelmans” looking at Best Picture runs, it would not be surprising for veteran composers Carter Burwell and John Williams to see their scores nominated for an Oscar. Alexandre Desplat’s score for “Pinocchio,” Justin Hurwitz’s score for “Babylon,” and Hildur Guðnadóttir’s score for “Women Talking” have also been names tossed around during this year’s awards season. These names are also not strangers to Academy love in the past, with all three having previously won Oscars.
When I listened to the scores myself, some other standouts included Volker Bertelmann’s “All Quiet on the Western Front,” which won me over without seeing the film. “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” and “Nope” are both favorites of mine from movies I have seen. Two films with unique scores that could catch attention are “Everything Everywhere All at Once” and “Don’t Worry Darling.” “Everything Everywhere All at Once” is on pace for a Best Picture nomination, so it has a better chance of getting in. “Don’t Worry Darling” doesn’t have the general audience or critical support, but it could prove that those don’t matter when it comes to Best Original Score.
All Quiet on the Western Front
Composed by Volker Bertelmann
October 7, 2022
Directed by Edward Berger
Produced by Malte Grunert and Daniel Dreifuss
Netflix
Synopsis: All Quiet on the Western Front tells the gripping story of a young German soldier on the Western Front of World War I. Paul and his comrades experience first-hand how the initial euphoria of war turns into desperation and fear as they fight for their lives, and each other, in the trenches. The film from director Edward Berger is based on the world renowned bestseller of the same name by Erich Maria Remarque.
Avatar: The Way of Water
Composed by Simon Franglen
December 16, 2022
Directed by James Cameron
Produced by James Cameron and Jon Landau
20th Century Studios
Synopsis: Set more than a decade after the events of the first film, “Avatar: The Way of Water” begins to tell the story of the Sully family (Jake, Neytiri, and their kids), the trouble that follows them, the lengths they go to keep each other safe, the battles they fight to stay alive, and the tragedies they endure.
Babylon
Composed by Justin Hurwitz
December 23, 2022
Directed by Damien Chazelle
Produced by Marc Platt, Matthew Plouffe, and Olivia Hamilton
Paramount Pictures
Synopsis: A tale of outsized ambition and outrageous excess, it traces the rise and fall of multiple characters during an era of unbridled decadence and depravity in early Hollywood.
The Banshees of Inisherin
Composed by Carter Burwell
November 4, 2022
Directed by Martin McDonagh
Produced by Graham Broadbent, Peter Czernin, and Martin McDonagh
Searchlight Pictures
Synopsis: Set on a remote island off the west coast of Ireland, THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN follows lifelong friends Pádraic and Colm, who find themselves at an impasse when Colm unexpectedly puts an end to their friendship. A stunned Pádraic, aided by his sister Siobhán and troubled young islander Dominic, endeavours to repair the relationship, refusing to take no for an answer. But Pádraic’s repeated efforts only strengthen his former friend’s resolve and when Colm delivers a desperate ultimatum, events swiftly escalate, with shocking consequences.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Composed by Ludwig Göransson
November 11, 2022
Directed by Ryan Coogler
Produced by Kevin Feige and Nate Moore
Walt Disney Pictures
Synopsis: In Marvel Studios’ “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), Shuri (Letitia Wright), M’Baku (Winston Duke), Okoye (Danai Gurira) and the Dora Milaje (including Florence Kasumba) fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T’Challa’s death. As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with the help of War Dog Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) and Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) and forge a new path for the kingdom of Wakanda.
Devotion
Composed by Chanda Dancy
November 23, 2022
Directed by J. D. Dillard
Produced by Thad Luckinbill, Trent Luckinbill, Molly Smith, and Rachel Smith
Columbia Pictures
Synopsis: Devotion, an aerial war epic based on the bestselling book of the same name, tells the harrowing true story of two elite US Navy fighter pilots during the Korean War. Their heroic sacrifices would ultimately make them the Navy’s most celebrated wingmen.
Don’t Worry Darling
Composed by John Powell
September 23, 2022
Directed by Olivia Wilde
Produced by Olivia Wilde, Katie Silberman, Miri Yoon, and Roy Lee
Warner Bros. Pictures
Synopsis: Alice and Jack are lucky to be living in the idealized community of Victory, the experimental company town housing the men who work for the top-secret Victory Project and their families. The 1950’s societal optimism espoused by their CEO, Frank–equal parts corporate visionary and motivational life coach–anchors every aspect of daily life in the tight-knit desert utopia. While the husbands spend every day inside the Victory Project Headquarters, working on the “development of progressive materials,” their wives–including Frank’s elegant partner, Shelley–get to spend their time enjoying the beauty, luxury and debauchery of their community. Life is perfect, with every resident’s needs met by the company. All they ask in return is discretion and unquestioning commitment to the Victory cause. But when cracks in her idyllic life begin to appear, exposing flashes of something much more sinister lurking beneath the attractive façade, Alice can’t help questioning exactly what they’re doing in Victory, and why. Just how much is Alice willing to lose to expose what’s really going on in this paradise?
Everything Everywhere All at Once
Composed by Son Lux
December 9, 2022
Directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert
Produced by Joe Russo, Anthony Russo, Mike Larocca, Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert, and Jonathan Wang
A24
Synopsis: An aging Chinese immigrant is swept up in an insane adventure, in which she alone can save the world by exploring other universes connecting with the lives she could have led.
The Fabelmans
Composed by John Williams
November 23, 2022
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Produced by Kristie Macosko Krieger, Steven Spielberg, and Tony Kushner
Universal Pictures
Synopsis: Young Sammy Fabelman falls in love with movies after his parents take him to see “The Greatest Show on Earth.” Armed with a camera, Sammy starts to make his own films at home, much to the delight of his supportive mother.
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
Composed by Nathan Johnson
November 23, 2022
Directed by Rian Johnson
Produced by Rian Johnson and Ram Bergman
Netflix
Synopsis: Benoit Blanc returns to peel back the layers in a new Rian Johnson whodunit. This fresh adventure finds the intrepid detective at a lavish private estate on a Greek island, but how and why he comes to be there is only the first of many puzzles. Blanc soon meets a distinctly disparate group of friends gathering at the invitation of billionaire Miles Bron for their yearly reunion. Among those on the guest list are Miles’ former business partner Andi Brand, current Connecticut governor Claire Debella, cutting-edge scientist Lionel Toussaint, fashion designer and former model Birdie Jay and her conscientious assistant Peg, and influencer Duke Cody and his sidekick girlfriend Whiskey. As in all the best murder mysteries, each character harbors their own secrets, lies and motivations. When someone turns up dead, everyone is a suspect.
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
Composed by Alexandre Desplat
November 9, 2022
Directed by Guillermo del Toro and Mark Gustafson
Produced by Guillermo del Toro, Lisa Henson, Gary Ungar, Alexander Bulkley, and Corey Campodonico
Netflix
Synopsis: Academy Award®-winning director Guillermo del Toro and award-winning, stop-motion legend Mark Gustafson reimagine the classic Carlo Collodi tale of the fabled wooden boy with a whimsical tour de force that finds Pinocchio on an enchanted adventure that transcends worlds and reveals the life-giving power of love.
Nope
Composed by Michael Abels
July 22, 2022
Directed by Jordan Peele
Produced by Jordan Peele and Ian Cooper
Universal Pictures
Synopsis: A man and his sister discover something sinister in the skies above their California horse ranch, while the owner of a nearby theme park tries to profit from the mysterious, otherworldly phenomenon.
She Said
Composed by Nicholas Britell
November 18, 2022
Directed by Maria Schrader
Produced by Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner
Universal Pictures
Synopsis: New York Times reporters Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor break one of the most important stories in a generation – a story that helped ignite a movement and shattered decades of silence around the subject of sexual assault in Hollywood.
The Woman King
Composed by Terence Blanchard
September 16, 2022
Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood
Produced by Cathy Schulman, Viola Davis, Julius Tennon, and Maria Bello
TriStar Pictures
Synopsis: The Woman King is the remarkable story of the Agojie, the all-female unit of warriors who protected the African Kingdom of Dahomey in the 1800s with skills and a fierceness unlike anything the world has ever seen. Inspired by true events, The Woman King follows the emotionally epic journey of General Nanisca (Oscar®-winner Viola Davis) as she trains the next generation of recruits and readies them for battle against an enemy determined to destroy their way of life. Some things are worth fighting for….
Women Talking
Composed by Hildur Guðnadóttir
December 23, 2022
Directed by Sarah Polley
Produced by Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, and Frances McDormand
MGM + United Artists Releasing
Synopsis: Do nothing. Stay and fight. Or leave. In 2010, the women of an isolated religious community grapple with reconciling a brutal reality with their faith.
