Oscar Winner Predictions: Best Original Score

The competition: The Adventures of Tintin, The Artist, Hugo, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, War Horse

Previous winners: The Social Network, Up, Slumdog Millionaire, Atonement, Babel, Brokeback Mountain
My winner: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Who should win: The Artist
Who will win: John Williams has over forty nominations in this category as of this year, and though he’s only won five times, he’s quite a threat, probably more so for “War Horse” than “The Adventures of Tintin.” Three-time winner Howard Shore’s whimsical melody for “Hugo” could be a winner, and I wouldn’t count on Alberto Iglesias’ moody score for “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” winning. Instead, I’d bet on a first-time Oscar nominee, Ludovic Bource, whose soundtrack for “The Artist” is simply irresistible.