It’s almost that time of year. The red carpets are being rolled out; the trophies polished; the final touches made on the outfits; we can’t help but wonder who will win the most important award of all…
The Best Original Music Score. Obviously.
With less than a week to go, no one quite knows where this year’s Oscars will take us. Thomas Newman’s 14th Oscar nomination for Passengers has definitely set the bar for the rest of the competition; all of whom are first-time Oscar nominees.
Justin Hurwitz reinvented the movie musical in a big way with his score for La La Land, whilst Nicholas Britell composed the hauntingly beautiful score for Moonlight to create a feeling of poetry.
Mica Levi also gets her first nomination for Jackie, though her previous work hasn’t gone without accolades. And acclaimed pianists, Dustin O’Halloran and Volker Bertelmann (aka Hauschka), have tag-teamed for another first-time Oscar nomination with Lion.
The two front runners, however, couldn’t be more different.
 |
On one hand, La La Land mixes the underground L.A. Jazz scene with the glitz and glamour of Hollywood. Hurwitz’s music plays a major role in the success of the film. His original songs, Audition and City of Stars, are both nominated for Best Original Song. |
 |
On the other, Moonlight’s understated score heightens the emotional reaction to the visuals. Brittell achieves a seamless sense of transformation between the three themes of the movie. |
We don’t know who will win, but we do know both have made it to the top of our ‘to learn’ list.