There were 132 eligible compositions for the 2026 Original Score shortlist. Now, there are 20. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Music Branch is usually far less controversial in its Original Score selections (Diane Warren isn’t eligible), and there were few snubs for anyone to complain about. As expected, “Hamnet,” “Frankenstein,” “Sinners,” “Marty Supreme,” “F1,” and “One Battle After Another” made the list. Welcome surprises included “Sirat,” “Hedda,” “Bugonia,” and “Train Dreams.”
Notable snubs include Oscar winner Michael Giacchino (“Zootopia 2” and “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” snubbed everywhere), Daniel Blumberg (“The Testament of Ann Lee”), and Jónsi & Alex Somers (“Rental Family”).
This year’s Original Score shortlist contenders are as follows:
“Avatar: Fire and Ash”
“Bugonia”
“Captain America: Brave New World”
“Diane Warren: Relentless”
“F1”
“Frankenstein”
“Hamnet”
“Hedda”
“A House of Dynamite”
“Jay Kelly”
“Marty Supreme”
“Nuremberg”
“One Battle after Another”
“Sinners”
“Sirât”
“Train Dreams”
“Tron: Ares”
“Truth and Treason”
“Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery”
“Wicked: For Good”
The 2026 Academy Award nominations will be announced on Thursday, January 22.
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Editor-at-Large Gregory Ellwood is one of the entertainment industry's most respected journalists and critics. Based in Los Angeles, he's the only current awards expert who previously worked on Oscar campaigns at a major movie studio. Over the years, he has written for the LA Times, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, and Vox, among others. He also co-founded the entertainment news site HitFix, which spawned a legion of influential Emmy and WGA Award-winning alumni.
