Film Music Reporter

Starting today, we are publishing our predictions for the nominees in the Best Original Score category of next year’s 96th Academy Awards on the left side column of this page. The selection and ranking is based on our own experience of the scores in context of the movies, reactions of Academy music branch members and others in the film music community, historical data, the level of awards campaigning and awareness of the competing titles, and the response to the movies in other categories. The order of the titles in the ranking is likely to shift as some movies have yet to be released or are early in their release cycle, more reactions are coming in and the eligibility of all contenders is confirmed (two titles currently listed in our predictions could face issues in that regard).

Final predictions published on January 21:

The Frontrunners:

1. Oppenheimer – Ludwig Göransson
2. Poor Things – Jerskin Fendrix
3. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse – Daniel Pemberton
4. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny – John Williams
5. Killers of the Flower Moon – Robbie Robertson
6. Elemental – Thomas Newman
7. American Fiction – Laura Karpman

Runner-ups:

1. Society of the Snow – Michael Giacchino
2. The Boy and the Heron – Joe Hisaishi
3. Saltburn – Anthony Willis
4. The Zone of Interest – Mica Levi
5. Barbie – Mark Ronson & Andrew Wyatt
6. The Color Purple – Kris Bowers
7. American Symphony – Jon Batiste
8. The Holdovers – Mark Orton

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Predictions updated on December 21 following Academy shortlist and other industry awards announcements:

The Frontrunners:

1. Oppenheimer – Ludwig Göransson
2. Poor Things – Jerskin Fendrix
3. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse – Daniel Pemberton
4. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny – John Williams
5. Elemental – Thomas Newman
6. Killers of the Flower Moon – Robbie Robertson
7. American Fiction – Laura Karpman

Runner-ups:

1. Society of the Snow – Michael Giacchino
2. The Boy and the Heron – Joe Hisaishi
3. Saltburn – Anthony Willis
4. The Zone of Interest – Mica Levi
5. Barbie – Mark Ronson & Andrew Wyatt
6. The Color Purple – Kris Bowers
7. American Symphony – Jon Batiste
8. The Holdovers – Mark Orton

———————

Original predictions from November 28:

The Lock:

1. Oppenheimer – Ludwig Göransson

The Other Frontrunners:

1. Poor Things – Jerskin Fendrix
2. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny – John Williams
3. Elemental – Thomas Newman
4. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse – Daniel Pemberton

Runner-ups:

1. American Fiction – Laura Karpman
2. Killers of the Flower Moon – Robbie Robertson
3. Origin – Kris Bowers
4. Society of the Snow – Michael Giacchino
5. Saltburn – Anthony Willis
6. Nyad – Alexandre Desplat
7. Napoleon – Martin Phipps
8. Rustin – Branford Marsalis
9. The Boy and the Heron – Joe Hisaishi
10. Barbie – Mark Ronson & Andrew Wyatt

Short list voting will begin on Monday, December 18 and the shortlists of fifteen titles will be announced on December 21. The nominations for the 96th Academy Awards will be announced on January 23, 2024 and the awards ceremony will take place on March 10.