Golden Globe Nominees: Best Original Score

My predictions: 4/5
Who’s missing? Tár, RRR

This category features four films that performed very well overall and one that disappointly didn’t: Women Talking. I’m a big fan of that score and of Babylon, which I’m pleased to see also made the cut. Two of the most-nominated films, The Fabelmans and The Banshees of Inisherin, are here too, as is Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio. I have been and will continue to listen to these scores to get to know them better and decide whether I prefer any of the latter three.

Who will win? I think Babylon wins this.

Golden Globe Predictions: Best Original Score

I’ve been predicting the Golden Globe nominations for more than fifteen years, and even if the group doesn’t have the same industry relevance as in the past, it’s still helpful and fun to see what films and performances get honored. Here’s my assessment of the contenders in this category.

Last year’s nominees:
Dune
Encanto
The French Dispatch
Parallel Mothers
The Power of the Dog

While I love listening to scores on repeat once nominations come in, I always feel a bit lost beforehand. Frontrunners that should be major players in other categories include The Fabelmans, Women Talking, Babylon, Tár, and She Said, while Pinocchio and The Batman are also possible choices. Watch out also for sequels like Avatar: The Way of Water and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever to previously-nominated films, and fun choices like RRR.

Current predictions:
Babylon
The Fabelmans
Pinocchio
Tár
Women Talking

Golden Globe Winner Predictions: Best Original Score

The competition:
Dune was composed by Hans Zimmer, marking his fourteenth nomination. He won in 1994 for “The Lion King” and in 2000 for “Gladiator.” This is his second collaboration with director Denis Villeneuve after “Blade Runner 2049.” His film is also nominated for Best Motion Picture – Drama and Best Director.

Encanto was composed by Germaine Franco. This is her first nomination and her first collaboration with directors Byron Howard and Jared Bush. Her film is also nominated for Best Animated Film and Best Song.

The French Dispatch was composed by Alexandre Desplat, marking his fifth collaboration with director Wes Anderson. He was nominated last year for “The Midnight Sky,” in 2019 for “Little Women,” in 2018 for “Isle of Dogs,” and won in 2017 for “The Shape of Water.” He has eight other previous nominations, including another win, for “The Painted Veil” for 2006. This is the only nomination for his film.

Parallel Mothers was composed by Alberto Iglesias, marking his twelfth collaboration with director Pedro Almodóvar. He was previously nominated for “The Kite Runner” in 2007. His film is also nominated for Best Non-English Language Film.

The Power of the Dog was composed by Jonny Greenwood. He was previously nominated for “Phantom Thread” in 2017. This is his first collaboration with director Jane Campion. His film is tied as the nominations leader.

Additional notes: The winner of this award has gone on to win the corresponding Oscar eleven times in the past fifteen years, failing to receive a nomination just three times. All five of these scores made the fifteen-wide finalist list for this year’s Oscar category.
What should win? I think “Dune” and “The Power of the Dog” made the strongest impressions on me, though I also distinctly remember hearing and liking “Parallel Mothers” in its opening moments.
What will win? I think Dune wins this.

Golden Globe Winner Predictions: Best Original Score

The competition:

Mank was composed by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, marking their fourth nomination as well as their fourth nominated collaboration with director David Fincher after bids for “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” and “Gone Girl” and a win for “The Social Network.” The duo is also nominated in this category for “Soul.” Their film is the nominations leader.

The Midnight Sky was composed by Alexandre Desplat, who was nominated last year for “Little Women,” in 2018 for “Isle of Dogs,” and won in 2017 for “The Shape of Water.” He has eight other previous nominations, including another win, for “The Painted Veil” for 2006. This is the only nomination for his film. This is his fourth collaboration with director George Clooney.

News of the World was composed by James Newton Howard. He was previously nominated for “King Kong” in 2005 and for “Defiance” in 2008. His film has only additional nomination for supporting actress Helena Zengel. This is his first collaboration with director Paul Greengrass.

Soul was composed by Jon Batiste, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. This is the first nomination for Batiste and the fifth for the other two, who also contend this year for “Mank.” This is the only nomination for his film. This is their first collaboration with directors Pete Docter and Kemp Powers. This film is also nominated for Best Animated Film.

Tenet was composed by Ludwig Göransson, who was previously nominated for “Black Panther” in 2018. This is the only nomination for his film. This is his first collaboration with director Christopher Nolan.

Additional notes: The winner of this award has gone on to win the corresponding Oscar ten times in the past fifteen years, failing to receive a nomination just three times. All five of these scores made the fifteen-wide finalist list for this year’s Oscar category. The last time an animated film won this prize was way back in 1994 for “The Lion King.” Composers have been nominated for multiple projects in the same year before and have sometimes triumphed.

What should win? These are all great choices, and I’ve spent a lot of time listening to them after seeing the films. I do think that “Tenet” would get my vote since it’s just something else.
What will win? I don’t think it’s locked up, but I’ll bet on Tenet for now.

Golden Globe Nominees: Best Original Score

My predictions: 3/5
Who’s missing? The Trial of the Chicago 7, Minari, Da 5 Bloods

I don’t have too much to comment here at this point but plan to listen to these scores as often as I can in the coming weeks. Soul managed to make the cut despite their not being a history of animated films nominated in this category, and both The Midnight Sky and Tenet, both expected to do well in technical races at the Oscars, showed up here without any other nominations. Mank helped to secure its nominations lead with a bid here, and News of the World rounds out the list. Lots of listening to do!

Who will win? I’m going to predict Soul.

Golden Globe Musings: Best Original Score

Golden Globe nominations for this year will be announced shortly, 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, especially this year, it’s hard to know which films and performances will end up being honored.

Last year's nominees:
Joker
Little Women
Marriage Story
Motherless Brooklyn
1917

I don’t know if Nomadland is going to be eligible here, but if it is, it won’t have any problem being nominated. Tenet is a good bet here too, and while Soul is a likely Oscar nominee, animated films rarely get honored here. Strong possibilities include News of the World, Mank, The Trial of the Chicago 7, Minari, Da 5 Bloods, and One Night in Miami.

Current predictions:
Mank
Minari
News of the World
Tenet
The Trial of the Chicago 7

Golden Globe Winner Predictions: Best Original Score

The competition:
Joker was composed by Hildur Guðnadóttir, marking her first nomination. The film also contends for Best Motion Picture – Drama, director Todd Phillips, and star Joaquin Phoenix. This is Göransson’s first collaboration with Phillips.

Little Women was composed by Alexandre Desplat, who was nominated last year for “Isle of Dogs” and won the year before that for “The Shape of Water.” He has eight other previous nominations, including another win, for “The Painted Veil” for 2006. His film also contends for star Saoirse Ronan’s performance. This is his first collaboration with director Greta Gerwig.

Marriage Story was composed by Randy Newman. He was previously nominated for “Avalon” in 1998 and “A Bug’s Life” in 1998, as well as four times in the Best Original Song category. His film is the nominations leader, contending for several awards including Best Motion Picture – Drama. This is his second collaboration with director Noah Baumbach.

Motherless Brooklyn was composed by Daniel Pemberton, who was previously nominated for “Steve Jobs” in 2015. This is the only nomination for his film. This is his first collaboration with director Edward Norton.

1917 was composed by Thomas Newman, who was previously nominated for “American Beauty” in 1999, which was director Sam Mendes’ directorial debut. This is his sixth collaboration with Mendes. The film is also nominated for Best Motion Picture – Drama and for its directing.

Additional notes: The winner of this award has gone on to win the corresponding Oscar nine times in the past fifteen years, failing to receive a nomination just three times, including last year for “First Man.” All five of these scores made the fifteen-wide finalist list for this year’s Oscar category.
What should win? I didn’t remember the music from “Marriage Story” or “Joker” all that much, whereas it’s very central to the success of both “Little Women” and “1917,” either of which I’d be happy to see triumph. I wasn’t as fond of the score from “Motherless Brooklyn.”
What will win? I think this is going to Little Women.

Golden Globe Nominees: Best Original Score

My predictions: 2/5
Who’s missing? Ford v Ferrari, The Irishman, Jojo Rabbit, A Hidden Life

I’ve seen all of these films but I didn’t remember the music from a few of them. That’s especially true of Marriage Story, which upon listening to it is indeed pretty decent and appropriate. Motherless Brooklyn is a bit of a left-field choice, though I did note the moody score in my review from NYFF. I didn’t see the enthusiasm for Joker coming, and I guess the music was a big part of that film’s effectiveness as well. The other two nominees I did expect and remember the music well, and that would be Little Women and 1917. I’ll do a thorough review of the composers nominated when I make my winner predictions.

Who will win? I actually think this goes to Motherless Brooklyn.

Golden Globe Musings: Best Original Score

Golden Globe nominations for this year will be announced shortly, 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.

Last year's nominees:
Black Panther
First Man
Isle of Dogs
Mary Poppins Returns
A Quiet Place

I have no idea where to start here other than to note how happy I was when “First Man” won this award last year and how devastated I was when it went on to be snubbed by Oscar voters. 1917 seems like the surest thing, with Ford v Ferrari and Little Women also pretty likely. The Irishman, Jojo Rabbit, and A Hidden Life are other possibilities, and while John Williams is probably going to earn an Oscar nomination for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, his last and only bid for the franchise was for the very first installment way back in 1977. I expect a few surprises here – I’m really not too confident going in.

Current predictions:
Ford v Ferrari
The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
Little Women
1917

Golden Globe Winner Predictions: Best Original Score

The competition:
Black Panther was composed by Ludwig Göransson, marking his first nomination. The film also contends for Best Motion Picture – Drama and Best Original Song. This is Göransson’s third collaboration with director Ryan Coogler.

First Man was composed by Justin Hurwitz, who won this award and the Best Original Song prize two years ago for “La La Land.” The film also contends for Best Supporting Actress. This is Hurwitz’s fourth collaboration with director Damien Chazelle.

Isle of Dogs was composed by Alexandre Desplat, who won this award last year for “The Shape of Water.” He has eight other previous nominations, including a win for “The Painted Veil” for 2006. The film also contends for Best Animated Film. This is his fourth collaboration with director Wes Anderson.

Mary Poppins Returns was composed by Marc Shaiman, who earned his first nomination last year for Best Original Song for “The Star.” His film also contends for Best Motion Picture – Comedy/Musical and stars Emily Blunt and Lin-Manuel Miranda. He has five Oscar nominations for his score and song work. This is his first collaboration with director Rob Marshall.

A Quiet Place was composed by Marco Beltrami, who earns his first nomination this year and his film’s only mention. The score dominates a film that features very little dialogue. This is his first collaboration with director John Krasinski.

Additional notes: The winner of this award has gone on to win the corresponding Oscar ten times in the past fifteen years, failing to receive a nomination just three times. All five of these scores made the fiteen-wide finalist list for this year’s Oscar category. Musicals have only won this award twice since Disney animated films dominated in the early 1990s.
What should win? I’m not sure that “Mary Poppins Returns” needed to be here, and there are some positive qualities of the “A Quiet Place” score that make me understand why it was nominated. “Isle of Dogs” is classic Desplat/Anderson material, and a fine choice. “Black Panther” would be a cool pick, but nothing in this race compares to “First Man” for me.
What will win? I’m not sure. I’m going to pick First Man with “Black Panther” as a possible spoiler.

Golden Globe Nominees: Best Original Score

My predictions: 3/5, missing “Mary Poppins Returns” and “A Quiet Place”
Who’s missing? If Beale Street Could Talk, BlacKkKlansman, Widows, Incredibles 2

I’ve only seen two of these films so far. Emily Blunt’s movies scored twice, with Mary Poppins Returns earning a bid here instead of in the song race as expected along with three top-tier nominations, and A Quiet Place, which I’ve avoided seeing because I don’t like horror movies, netting its sole mention. First Man picked up one of its only two nominations in this category, while Black Panther scored here along with the song race and the top category. Isle of Dogs got in here along with the animated feature field. I’ll have commentary once I’ve listened to more of these scores aside from the terrific one from “First Man.”

Who will win? My guess now would actually be A Quiet Place, but that will probably change once I’ve listened to them.

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

Golden Globe Winner Predictions: Best Original Score

The competition: Dunkirk (Hans Zimmer), Phantom Thread (Jonny Greenwood), The Post (John Williams), The Shape of Water (Alexandre Desplat), Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (Carter Burwell)

For your information: Williams has twenty-four nominations and four wins, the most recent of which came in 2005 for “Memoirs of a Geisha.” Zimmer has thirteen nominations and two wins, for “The Lion King” and “Gladiator.” Desplat has nine nominations, and Burwell has three. This is Greenwood’s first nomination.

Who should win? I haven’t listened closely enough to these – and I have yet to see “Phantom Thread” – but I remember the music from “Dunkirk” and “The Shape of Water” best from the ones I have seen.

Who will win? I think Zimmer will take it for Dunkirk, but it could easily be any of these.

Golden Globe Nominees: Best Original Score

My predictions: 3/5, picking “Call Me By Your Name” and “Darkest Hour” over “Phantom Thread” and “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
Who’s missing? Plenty!

I haven’t done enough of a deep dive into this category, but I thought I had predicted Phantom Thread, which I apparently didn’t, and this makes the first nomination for Jonny Greenwood, whose “There Will Be Blood” score was famously Oscar-ineligible. I’ll do more analysis when I predict the winners, but I also need to see that film and The Post. I’m happy about The Shape of Water and Dunkirk and also fine with Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, and I look forward to listening to all these score on loop for the foreseeable future.

Who will win? I think Phantom Thread will win.

Golden Globe Winner Predictions: Best Original Score

The competition: Arrival (Jóhann Jóhannsson), Hidden Figures (Hans Zimmer, Pharrell Williams and Benjamin Wallfisch), La La Land (Justin Hurwitz), Lion (Dustin O'Halloran and Hauschka), and Moonlight (Nicholas Britell).

For your information: This is Zimmer’s twelfth nomination, and he has won twice, for “The Lion King” and “Gladiator.” Jóhannsson won in 2014 for “The Theory of Everything.” Hurwitz is also nominated this year for Best Song. There’s no particular correlation of this category to any other. It’s worth noting that the “Arrival” score, which also uses Max Richter’s “On the Nature of Daylight,” is not eligible for the Oscar.

Who should win? I still need to do some serious listening but nothing really compares to “La La Land” and the part music plays in that film. I even made one track my wake-up alarm!

Who will win? I’m tempted to go with La La Land though I suspect it might be “Arrival” instead.

Golden Globe Nominees: Best Original Score

My predictions: 4/5, picking “Silence” over “Hidden Figures”
Who’s missing? Silence, others

I didn’t do much research into this category but managed to do well, and I look forward to much more detailed commentary soon once I’ve listened to everything. Hidden Figures was the fifth nominee, a film that has been positioned as an Oscar contender and ended up with two minor nominations today. Arrival is the tech movie that did well and also earned a Best Actress bid, and the other three nominees are Lion and top category contenders La La Land and Moonlight.

Who will win? I think it’s going to Arrival.

Golden Globe Winner Predictions: Best Original Score

The competition: Carol (Carter Burwell), The Danish Girl (Alexandre Desplat), The Hateful Eight (Ennio Morricone), The Revenant (Ryuichi Sakamoto and Alva Noto), Steve Jobs (Daniel Pemberton)

For your information: This is the eighth nomination for Morricone, who won in 1986 for “The Mission” and in 1999 for “The Legend of 1900.” This is also the eighth nomination for Desplat, who won in 2006 for “The Painted Veil” and was nominated most recently last year. Burwell has been nominated once before. Sakamoto has been nominated twice before as part of composing teams, winning on both occasions, in 1987 for “The Last Emperor” and in 1990 for “The Sheltering Sky.” This is Pemberton’s first nomination.

Who should win? I remember the music from “The Danish Girl” and “The Hateful Eight” from when I saw the films. “The Revenant” and “Steve Jobs” are a bit too populated with ambient noise for my tastes. I would vote for “Carol” or “The Danish Girl.”

Who will win? It could be any of these. My pick is The Danish Girl over “The Hateful Eight.”

Golden Globe Nominees: Best Original Score

My predictions: 2/5, picking only “Carol” and “The Danish Girl”
What’s missing? Spotlight, Bridge of Spies, The Martian, Room

This list could easily have been a Best Picture field. I'm surprised that “Spotlight” isn't here, but I still have to see three of these films. Frequent Coen Brothers collaborator Carter Burwell earns his second career Globe nomination for Carol, which is recognized in the top race along with The Revenant, composed by two-time winner Ryuichi Sakamoto and first-time nominee Alva Noto. Alexandre Desplat scored his eighth Globe nod for The Danish Girl, joined by first-time nominee Daniel Pemberton for Steve Jobs and veteran Ennio Morricone, earning his ninth nomination, for The Hateful Eight. More thoughts once I've seen all the films and heard their music.

What will win? I think it will be The Danish Girl.

Golden Globe Winner Predictions: Best Original Score

The competition: Birdman (Antonio Sanchez), Gone Girl (Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross), The Imitation Game (Alexandre Desplat), Interstellar (Hans Zimmer), and The Theory of Everything (Johann Johannson)

For your information: This is the eleventh nomination for Zimmer, who has won twice. This is the seventh nomination for Desplat, who has won once. This is the third nomination for a collaboration between Reznor, Ross, and director David Fincher. They won on their first try for “The Social Network.” This is the first nomination for both Sanchez and Johannson. Last year’s winner was first-time nominee Alex Ebert. “Birdman,” “The Imitation Game,” and “The Theory of Everything” are all nominated for Best Motion Picture – Drama, not that it’s a requirement of this category.

Who should win? I won’t argue with the merits of the jazz drum that guides “Birdman,” but I can’t get the intense “Interstellar” theme out of my head.

Who will win? I’ll still go with Birdman.

Golden Globe Nominees: Best Original Score

My predictions: 4/5, missing “The Theory of Everything”
Who’s missing? Fury, many more

I’ll have much more to say when I have the opportunity to sit down and actually listen to these scores over and over for the next few days, though I have seen all the nominated films. It’s sad to think that all people liked about Interstellar was its music, but I’ll take it. The other four films recognized - Birdman, Gone Girl, The Imitation Game, and The Theory of Everything - add to impressive nomination hauls this morning. More detailed reactions coming soon.

Who will win? Probably Birdman.