Oscar Winner Predictions: Best Original Score

The competition: Joker (Hildur Guðnadóttir), Little Women (Alexandre Desplat), Marriage Story (Randy Newman), 1917 (Thomas Newman), Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (John Williams)

Previous winners: Black Panther, The Shape of Water, La La Land, The Hateful Eight, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Gravity, Life of Pi
My winner: I Lost My Body
The facts: This is the forty-seventh score nomination for Williams, whose last win was back in 1993 for “Schindler’s List.” This is the eleventh nomination for Desplat, who triumphed in 2017 for “The Shape of Water” and in 2014 for “The Grand Budapest Hotel.” This is the ninth score nomination for Randy Newman, who has won twice in the song category and is also nominated this year for a “Toy Story 4” song. Thomas Newman has thirteen previous nominations, the most recent of which was for “Passengers” in 2016, and has yet to win. The last time the Newman cousins were nominated together was in 1995. This is the first nomination for Guðnadóttir, who becomes only the seventh female composer nominated in the score categories. The last woman to win this category was Anne Dudley, who triumphed in 1997 for “The Full Monty.” In the past two decades, this award has gone to a film not nominated for Best Picture only four times. Guðnadóttir has won the Globe, the Critics’ Choice Award, and the BAFTA.

Who should win: During my initial viewing experiences, I remember “1917” and “Little Women” presenting strong music. More recently, listening to “Joker” has made me appreciate that one to the point that it would be my top choice from this list.
Who will win: Barring a surprise, I think this goes to Joker.