Oscar Winner Predictions: Best Original Score

The competition: Bridge of Spies (Thomas Newman), Carol (Carter Burwell), The Hateful Eight (Ennio Morricone), Sicario (Johann Johannsson), Star Wars: The Force Awakens (John Williams)

Previous winners: The Grand Budapest Hotel, Gravity, Life of Pi, The Artist, The Social Network, Up, Slumdog Millionaire, Atonement
My winner: Tangerines
The facts: Williams is the most-nominated composer of all time, earning his 45th nomination this year. He has won five times, including for the first “Star Wars” film. He was also nominated for “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi.” Newman is the most-nominated living composer who has not win, with twelve career mentions. Morricone has been nominated six times, most recently in 2000 for “Malena.” Johannsson was nominated for the first time last year for “The Theory of Everything” and Burwell is nominated for the first time this year.

Who should win: “The Hateful Eight” or “Sicario”
Who will win: I don’t think this is the score that will win Newman his first Oscar, but I do think that it will be the charm for Morricone and “The Hateful Eight,” particularly because his score is actually featured as the overture of his film without any events playing out on screen, giving the Golden Globe winner a leg up on the competition.