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Every Oscars Best Original Score winner

26 ceremonies, 2000–2025. 22 different winners. The longest run was Gustavo Santaolalla, 2 years straight (2006–2007).

Alexandre Desplat ×2Gustavo Santaolalla ×2Howard Shore ×2Ludwig Göransson ×2
Each band is one winner’s reign. Wider means a longer run. Colored by distributor; hover for details.
John Corigliano'00
Tan Dun'01
Howard Shore'02
Elliot Goldenthal'03
Howard Shore'04
Jan A. P. Kaczmarek'05
Gustavo Santaolalla'06–'07×2
Dario Marianelli'08
A.R. Rahman'09
Michael Giacchino'10
Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross'11
Ludovic Bource'12
Mychael Danna'13
Steven Price'14
Alexandre Desplat'15
Ennio Morricone'16
Justin Hurwitz'17
Alexandre Desplat'18
Ludwig Göransson'19
Hildur Guðnadóttir'20
Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross & Jon Batiste'21
Hans Zimmer'22
Volker Bertelmann'23
Ludwig Göransson'24
Daniel Blumberg'25
Wins by distributor
  1. Warner Bros.519%
  2. Disney312%
  3. Searchlight312%
  4. Universal312%
  5. Sony28%
  6. The Weinstein Company28%
  7. Other831%

Who kept losing

Counting nominations in this category only, 2000–2025.

Most nominated, never won

  • John Williams17 noms
  • Thomas Newman11 noms
  • Alberto Iglesias4 noms
  • James Newton Howard4 noms
  • Carter Burwell3 noms
  • James Horner3 noms

Most losses

  • John Williams17L · 0W
  • Thomas Newman11L · 0W
  • Alexandre Desplat9L · 2W
  • Hans Zimmer5L · 1W
  • Alberto Iglesias4L · 0W
  • James Newton Howard4L · 0W

The full list

YearWinnerDistributor
2025Daniel Blumberg (The Brutalist)
beat 4 others
  • Volker Bertelmann (Conclave)
  • Clément Ducol & Camille (Emilia Pérez)
  • John Powell & Stephen Schwartz (Wicked)
  • Kris Bowers (The Wild Robot)
A24
2024Ludwig Göransson (Oppenheimer)
beat 4 others
  • Laura Karpman (American Fiction)
  • John Williams (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny)
  • Robbie Robertson (Killers of the Flower Moon)
  • Jerskin Fendrix (Poor Things)
Universal Pictures
2023Volker Bertelmann (All Quiet on the Western Front)
beat 4 others
  • Justin Hurwitz (Babylon)
  • Carter Burwell (The Banshees of Inisherin)
  • Son Lux (Everything Everywhere All at Once)
  • John Williams (The Fabelmans)
Netflix
2022Hans Zimmer (Dune)
beat 4 others
  • Nicholas Britell (Don't Look Up)
  • Germaine Franco (Encanto)
  • Alberto Iglesias (Parallel Mothers)
  • Jonny Greenwood (The Power of the Dog)
Warner Bros.
2021Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross & Jon Batiste (Soul)
beat 4 others
  • Terence Blanchard (Da 5 Bloods)
  • Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross (Mank)
  • Emile Mosseri (Minari)
  • James Newton Howard (News of the World)
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
2020Hildur Guðnadóttir (Joker)
beat 4 others
  • Alexandre Desplat (Little Women)
  • Randy Newman (Marriage Story)
  • Thomas Newman (1917)
  • John Williams (Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker)
Warner Bros.
2019Ludwig Göransson (Black Panther)
beat 4 others
  • Terence Blanchard (BlacKkKlansman)
  • Nicholas Britell (If Beale Street Could Talk)
  • Alexandre Desplat (Isle of Dogs)
  • Marc Shaiman (Mary Poppins Returns)
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
2018Alexandre Desplat (The Shape of Water)
beat 4 others
  • Hans Zimmer (Dunkirk)
  • Jonny Greenwood (Phantom Thread)
  • John Williams (Star Wars: The Last Jedi)
  • Carter Burwell (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)
Fox Searchlight Pictures
2017Justin Hurwitz (La La Land)
beat 4 others
  • Mica Levi (Jackie)
  • Dustin O'Halloran & Volker Bertelmann (Lion)
  • Nicholas Britell (Moonlight)
  • Thomas Newman (Passengers)
Lionsgate
2016Ennio Morricone (The Hateful Eight)
beat 4 others
  • Thomas Newman (Bridge of Spies)
  • Carter Burwell (Carol)
  • Jóhann Jóhannsson (Sicario)
  • John Williams (Star Wars: The Force Awakens)
The Weinstein Company
2015Alexandre Desplat (The Grand Budapest Hotel)
beat 4 others
  • Alexandre Desplat (The Imitation Game)
  • Hans Zimmer (Interstellar)
  • Gary Yershon (Mr. Turner)
  • Jóhann Jóhannsson (The Theory of Everything)
Fox Searchlight Pictures
2014Steven Price (Gravity)
beat 4 others
  • John Williams (The Book Thief)
  • Will Butler & Owen Pallett (Her)
  • Alexandre Desplat (Philomena)
  • Thomas Newman (Saving Mr. Banks)
Warner Bros.
2013Mychael Danna (Life of Pi)
beat 4 others
  • Dario Marianelli (Anna Karenina)
  • Alexandre Desplat (Argo)
  • John Williams (Lincoln)
  • Thomas Newman (Skyfall)
20th Century Fox
2012Ludovic Bource (The Artist)
beat 4 others
  • John Williams (The Adventures of Tintin)
  • Howard Shore (Hugo)
  • Alberto Iglesias (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy)
  • John Williams (War Horse)
The Weinstein Company
2011Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross (The Social Network)
beat 4 others
  • A.R. Rahman (127 Hours)
  • John Powell (How to Train Your Dragon)
  • Hans Zimmer (Inception)
  • Alexandre Desplat (The King's Speech)
Columbia Pictures
2010Michael Giacchino (Up)
beat 4 others
  • James Horner (Avatar)
  • Alexandre Desplat (Fantastic Mr. Fox)
  • Marco Beltrami & Buck Sanders (The Hurt Locker)
  • Hans Zimmer (Sherlock Holmes)
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
2009A.R. Rahman (Slumdog Millionaire)
beat 4 others
  • Alexandre Desplat (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
  • James Newton Howard (Defiance)
  • Danny Elfman (Milk)
  • Thomas Newman (WALL-E)
Fox Searchlight Pictures
2008Dario Marianelli (Atonement)
beat 4 others
  • Marco Beltrami (3:10 to Yuma)
  • Alberto Iglesias (The Kite Runner)
  • James Newton Howard (Michael Clayton)
  • Michael Giacchino (Ratatouille)
Focus Features
2007Gustavo Santaolalla (Babel)repeat
beat 4 others
  • Thomas Newman (The Good German)
  • Philip Glass (Notes on a Scandal)
  • Javier Navarrete (Pan's Labyrinth)
  • Alexandre Desplat (The Queen)
Paramount Pictures
2006Gustavo Santaolalla (Brokeback Mountain)
beat 4 others
  • Alberto Iglesias (The Constant Gardener)
  • John Williams (Memoirs of a Geisha)
  • John Williams (Munich)
  • Dario Marianelli (Pride & Prejudice)
Focus Features
2005Jan A. P. Kaczmarek (Finding Neverland)
beat 4 others
  • John Williams (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban)
  • Thomas Newman (Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events)
  • John Debney (The Passion of the Christ)
  • James Newton Howard (The Village)
Miramax Films
2004Howard Shore (The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King)
beat 4 others
  • Danny Elfman (Big Fish)
  • Gabriel Yared (Cold Mountain)
  • Thomas Newman (Finding Nemo)
  • James Horner (House of Sand and Fog)
New Line Cinema
2003Elliot Goldenthal (Frida)
beat 4 others
  • John Williams (Catch Me If You Can)
  • Elmer Bernstein (Far from Heaven)
  • Philip Glass (The Hours)
  • Thomas Newman (Road to Perdition)
Miramax
2002Howard Shore (The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring)
beat 4 others
  • John Williams (A.I. Artificial Intelligence)
  • James Horner (A Beautiful Mind)
  • John Williams (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone)
  • Randy Newman (Monsters, Inc.)
New Line Cinema
2001Tan Dun (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon)
beat 4 others
  • Rachel Portman (Chocolat)
  • Hans Zimmer (Gladiator)
  • Ennio Morricone (Malèna)
  • John Williams (The Patriot)
Sony Pictures Classics
2000John Corigliano (The Red Violin)
beat 4 others
  • Thomas Newman (American Beauty)
  • John Williams (Angela's Ashes)
  • Rachel Portman (The Cider House Rules)
  • Gabriel Yared (The Talented Mr. Ripley)
Odeon Films

More Oscars categories

ActorActressAnimated FeatureInternational FeatureDocumentary ShortAnimated ShortLive Action ShortOriginal SongSupp. ActorSupp. ActressOrig. ScreenplayAdapted ScreenplayCinematographyFilm EditingProduction DesignCostume DesignAll 25 categories

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