Golden Globe Musings: Best Original Score

Golden Globe nominations for this year will be announced in just a few weeks, so here’s a survey of the contenders and the most likely predictions at this time. Weigh in with your thoughts, and let me know if I’ve left off anything important. A reminder that the Globes are wildly unpredictable and that it is still a bit early to gauge the reception or awards potential of a number of the so-called “contenders” at this point.

Dunkirk
Phantom Thread
The Post
The Shape of Water
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Oscar’s official list of eligible scores won’t be announced until mid-December, but that’s not so relevant since those that don’t make the cut there may still be eligible here. The last two winners of this award are likely to return, Justin Hurwitz for First Man and Alexandre Desplat for Isle of Dogs. Another past nominee, Nicholas Britell, may return for If Beale Street Could Talk, and Hans Zimmer could earn his fourteenth overall and third consecutive nomination for Widows. Michael Giacchino only has one nomination – and win – at the Globes for “Up,” and therefore I wouldn’t count on his Incredibles 2 score to show up even if it ends up earning him an Oscar nod. Terrence Blanchard was previously nominated for a Spike Lee film, and I have a feeling he’ll be back for BlacKkKlansman. Black Panther seems like a fun and worthwhile choice here as something different, whereas something more familiar, like Mary Poppins Returns, could easily round out this race.

Current predictions:
BlacKkKlansman
Black Panther
First Man
If Beale Street Could Talk
Isle of Dogs