Join with a codeGuideBallotsDataToolsBlog

A visual history · Golden Globes

The winners who defined Original Score.

70 ceremonies, 1948–2025. 49 different winners. The longest run belongs to Dimitri Tiomkin, with 2 straight wins.

Who won most recently?
Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross in 2025 for Challengers.
Who has won the most?
Dimitri Tiomkin, John Williams and Maurice Jarre, tied on 4 wins each.
  1. ChallengersTrent Reznor & Atticus Ross
  2. OppenheimerLudwig Göransson
  3. BabylonJustin Hurwitz
  4. DuneHans Zimmer
  5. SoulJon Batiste, Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross
  6. JokerHildur Guðnadóttir
Years explored
1948–2025
Different winners
49
Category leader
Dimitri Tiomkin · 4
About this record

Best Original Score – Motion Picture was first awarded in 1948, so it does not run the full 1944–2025 window.

2000–2025

26 ceremonies

19482025

01 / The reigns

Howard Shore set the longest run.

The timeline turns the 2000–2025 record into a sequence of reigns. Longer bands reveal sustained runs; color shows the credited network / distributor.

  1. 01
    Justin Hurwitz3 wins
  2. 02
    Alexandre Desplat2 wins
  3. 03
    Ennio Morricone2 wins
  4. 04
    Howard Shore2 wins
  5. 05
    Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross2 wins
Each band is one winner’s reign. Wider means a longer run. Colored by network / distributor; hover for details.
Ennio Morricone'00
Hans Zimmer & Lisa Gerrard'01
Craig Armstrong'02
Elliot Goldenthal'03
Howard Shore'04–'05×2
John Williams'06
Alexandre Desplat'07
Dario Marianelli'08
A. R. Rahman'09
Michael Giacchino'10
Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross'11
Ludovic Bource'12
Mychael Danna'13
Alex Ebert'14
Jóhann Jóhannsson'15
Ennio Morricone'16
Justin Hurwitz'17
Alexandre Desplat'18
Justin Hurwitz'19
Hildur Guðnadóttir'20
Jon Batiste, Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross'21
Hans Zimmer'22
Justin Hurwitz'23
Ludwig Göransson'24
Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross'25

02 / The power map

Who stood behind the winners?

Universal leads the recorded network / distributor credits with 5 wins, 2000–2025. The full distribution shows whether power was concentrated or shared.

Universal5 wins
Warner Bros.4 wins
20th Century2 wins
Disney2 wins
Miramax2 wins
Searchlight2 wins
Wins by network / distributor
  1. Universal519%
  2. Warner Bros.415%
  3. 20th Century28%
  4. Disney28%
  5. Miramax28%
  6. Searchlight28%
  7. Other935%

03 / The near misses

The names that kept coming back without the ending they wanted.

Counting nominations in this category only, 2000–2025.

Most nominated, never won this award

  1. 01
    Carter Burwell
    3 noms
  2. 02
    Clint Eastwood
    3 noms
  3. 03
    Daniel Pemberton
    3 noms
  4. 04
    James Newton Howard
    3 noms
  5. 05
    Abel Korzeniowski
    2 noms
  6. 06
    Alberto Iglesias
    2 noms

Most losses in this category

  1. 01
    Alexandre Desplat
    12L · 2W
  2. 02
    Hans Zimmer
    10L · 1W
  3. 03
    John Williams
    7L · 1W
  4. 04
    Carter Burwell
    3L · 0W
  5. 05
    Clint Eastwood
    3L · 0W
  6. 06
    Daniel Pemberton
    3L · 0W

04 / The archive

Every year.
Every winner.

The complete reference behind the story, showing 2000–2025. Open any year to see the rest of the field when nominee records are available.

YearWinnerNetwork / Distributor
2025Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross (Challengers)
beat 5 others
  • Daniel Blumberg (The Brutalist)
  • Volker Bertelmann (Conclave)
  • Hans Zimmer (Dune: Part Two)
  • Clément Ducol & Camille (Emilia Pérez)
  • Kris Bowers (The Wild Robot)
Amazon MGM Studios
2024Ludwig Göransson (Oppenheimer)
beat 5 others
  • Joe Hisaishi (The Boy and the Heron)
  • Robbie Robertson (Killers of the Flower Moon)
  • Jerskin Fendrix (Poor Things)
  • Daniel Pemberton (Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse)
  • Mica Levi (The Zone of Interest)
Universal
2023Justin Hurwitz (Babylon)
beat 4 others
  • Carter Burwell (The Banshees of Inisherin)
  • John Williams (The Fabelmans)
  • Alexandre Desplat (Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio)
  • Hildur Guðnadóttir (Women Talking)
Paramount
2022Hans Zimmer (Dune)
beat 4 others
  • Germaine Franco (Encanto)
  • Alexandre Desplat (The French Dispatch)
  • Alberto Iglesias (Parallel Mothers)
  • Jonny Greenwood (The Power of the Dog)
Warner Bros.
2021Jon Batiste, Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross (Soul)
beat 4 others
  • Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross (Mank)
  • Alexandre Desplat (The Midnight Sky)
  • James Newton Howard (News of the World)
  • Ludwig Göransson (Tenet)
Walt Disney Studios
2020Hildur Guðnadóttir (Joker)
beat 4 others
  • Thomas Newman (1917)
  • Alexandre Desplat (Little Women)
  • Randy Newman (Marriage Story)
  • Daniel Pemberton (Motherless Brooklyn)
Warner Bros.
2019Justin Hurwitz (First Man)
beat 4 others
  • Ludwig Göransson (Black Panther)
  • Alexandre Desplat (Isle of Dogs)
  • Marc Shaiman (Mary Poppins Returns)
  • Marco Beltrami (A Quiet Place)
Universal
2018Alexandre Desplat (The Shape of Water)
beat 4 others
  • Hans Zimmer (Dunkirk)
  • Jonny Greenwood (Phantom Thread)
  • John Williams (The Post)
  • Carter Burwell (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)
Fox Searchlight
2017Justin Hurwitz (La La Land)
beat 4 others
  • Jóhann Jóhannsson (Arrival)
  • Hans Zimmer, Pharrell Williams & Benjamin Wallfisch (Hidden Figures)
  • Dustin O'Halloran & Hauschka (Lion)
  • Nicholas Britell (Moonlight)
Lionsgate
2016Ennio Morricone (The Hateful Eight)
beat 4 others
  • Carter Burwell (Carol)
  • Alexandre Desplat (The Danish Girl)
  • Ryuichi Sakamoto & Alva Noto (The Revenant)
  • Daniel Pemberton (Steve Jobs)
The Weinstein Company
2015Jóhann Jóhannsson (The Theory of Everything)
beat 4 others
  • Antonio Sánchez (Birdman)
  • Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross (Gone Girl)
  • Alexandre Desplat (The Imitation Game)
  • Hans Zimmer (Interstellar)
Focus Features
2014Alex Ebert (All Is Lost)
beat 4 others
  • Hans Zimmer (12 Years a Slave)
  • John Williams (The Book Thief)
  • Steven Price (Gravity)
  • Alex Heffes (Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom)
Roadside Attractions/Lionsgate
2013Mychael Danna (Life of Pi)
beat 4 others
  • Dario Marianelli (Anna Karenina)
  • Alexandre Desplat (Argo)
  • John Williams (Lincoln)
  • Tom Tykwer, Johnny Klimek & Reinhold Heil (Cloud Atlas)
20th Century Fox
2012Ludovic Bource (The Artist)
beat 4 others
  • Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo)
  • Howard Shore (Hugo)
  • John Williams (War Horse)
  • Abel Korzeniowski (W.E.)
The Weinstein Company
2011Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross (The Social Network)
beat 4 others
  • A. R. Rahman (127 Hours)
  • Danny Elfman (Alice in Wonderland)
  • Hans Zimmer (Inception)
  • Alexandre Desplat (The King's Speech)
Columbia/Sony
2010Michael Giacchino (Up)
beat 4 others
  • Abel Korzeniowski (A Single Man)
  • James Horner (Avatar)
  • Marvin Hamlisch (The Informant!)
  • Karen O & Carter Burwell (Where the Wild Things Are)
Walt Disney Studios
2009A. R. Rahman (Slumdog Millionaire)
beat 4 others
  • Clint Eastwood (Changeling)
  • Alexandre Desplat (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
  • James Newton Howard (Defiance)
  • Hans Zimmer (Frost/Nixon)
Fox Searchlight
2008Dario Marianelli (Atonement)
beat 4 others
  • Howard Shore (Eastern Promises)
  • Clint Eastwood (Grace Is Gone)
  • Michael Brook, Kaki King & Eddie Vedder (Into the Wild)
  • Alberto Iglesias (The Kite Runner)
Focus Features
2007Alexandre Desplat (The Painted Veil)
beat 4 others
  • Gustavo Santaolalla (Babel)
  • Carlo Siliotto (Nomad)
  • Hans Zimmer (The Da Vinci Code)
  • Clint Mansell (The Fountain)
Warner Independent Pictures
2006John Williams (Memoirs of a Geisha)
beat 4 others
  • Gustavo Santaolalla (Brokeback Mountain)
  • James Newton Howard (King Kong)
  • Alexandre Desplat (Syriana)
  • Harry Gregson-Williams (The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe)
Columbia/Sony
2005Howard Shore (The Aviator)repeat
beat 4 others
  • Jan A. P. Kaczmarek (Finding Neverland)
  • Clint Eastwood (Million Dollar Baby)
  • Rolfe Kent (Sideways)
  • Hans Zimmer (Spanglish)
Miramax/Warner Bros.
2004Howard Shore (The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King)
beat 4 others
  • Danny Elfman (Big Fish)
  • Gabriel Yared (Cold Mountain)
  • Alexandre Desplat (Girl with a Pearl Earring)
  • Hans Zimmer (The Last Samurai)
New Line Cinema
2003Elliot Goldenthal (Frida)
beat 4 others
  • Terence Blanchard (25th Hour)
  • Elmer Bernstein (Far from Heaven)
  • Peter Gabriel (Rabbit-Proof Fence)
  • Philip Glass (The Hours)
Miramax
2002Craig Armstrong (Moulin Rouge!)
beat 7 others
  • James Horner (A Beautiful Mind)
  • John Williams (A.I. Artificial Intelligence)
  • Pieter Bourke & Lisa Gerrard (Ali)
  • Howard Shore (The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring)
  • Angelo Badalamenti (Mulholland Drive)
  • Hans Zimmer (Pearl Harbor)
  • Christopher Young (The Shipping News)
20th Century Fox
2001Hans Zimmer & Lisa Gerrard (Gladiator)
beat 5 others
  • Larry Paxton, Marty Stuart & Kristin Wilkinson (All the Pretty Horses)
  • Rachel Portman (Chocolat)
  • Tan Dun (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon)
  • Ennio Morricone (Malèna)
  • Maurice Jarre (Sunshine)
DreamWorks/Universal
2000Ennio Morricone (The Legend of 1900)
beat 8 others
  • Thomas Newman (American Beauty)
  • John Williams (Angela's Ashes)
  • George Fenton (Anna and the King)
  • Michael Nyman (The End of the Affair)
  • Jocelyn Pook (Eyes Wide Shut)
  • Pieter Bourke & Lisa Gerrard (The Insider)
  • Angelo Badalamenti (The Straight Story)
  • Gabriel Yared (The Talented Mr. Ripley)
Fine Line Features