I gave my reaction after the nominations came out, so this will be a short reaction for the simple fact that there are less winners than nominees (duh, right?) I don’t know if there were any surprises, per se, but there are still some things to unpack from the winners here. For a full list of winners and nominees, head over to the HMMA site here.
Rihanna surges to frontrunner status for Original Song
Is that an overreaction to say Rihanna is the frontrunner (sharing co-writing credits with Tems, Ryan Coogler, and Ludwig Göransson)? Maybe, but if not Rihanna, who? Lady Gaga and BloodPop (Top Gun: Maverick)? Simon Franglen (Avatar: The Way of Water)? Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (Bones and All)? Diane Warren (Tell It Like a Woman)? At any rate, if you’re looking for someone to fill that SCORE/SOUND/SONG/VFX slot on your roster, Rihanna could fit the bill. Ludwig Göransson is probably already drafted, but he would be a worthy add because he might get some bonus points as composer. Same with Ryan Coogler, but as director. It might not be wise to overlook Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Or is Diane Warren (gulp) the favorite?
The original song race is WIDE open, and that could mean the narrative of Diane Warren scoring Oscar gold after being nominated THIRTEEN times is the narrative that beats out John Williams being the oldest nominee. Coincidentally, this would be the same year that she receives a non-competitive Academy Honorary Award. Usually Diane Warren is a fringe fantasy points contributor, despite being that fifth nominee for any song that she writes in any given year. It’s almost a running gag with her being nominated for an Oscar, despite not showing up much anywhere else in any other awards announcements. However, here she is with a bona fide win under her belt. That could be the catalyst for her future success. Granted the competition wasn’t necessarily steep, the biggest contender being Mitski, David Byrne, and Ryan Lott (of Son Lux) for Everything Everywhere All At Once. But a win is a win, and if Diane Warren is available to ride my bench until the matchup with Oscar shortlists and the first round of the playoffs? I’m picking her up if I can spare the bench spot. That’s almost a guaranteed four points in the first round of the playoffs (Oscar nomination Tuesday), which could be the difference between advancing to the semi-finals and elimination.
Don’t count out Guillermo del Toro and Alexandre Desplat
They co-wrote (with Roeben Katz) original songs for Pinocchio, which is gonna score a whole bunch of points in the ANI slot. Riding on the coattails is the original song, so if you are a Desplat or del Toro owner, you’ll be getting some bonus points there.
Billy Eichner could be a deep sleeper
Although he didn’t win for song, he did win for best performance of a song, and that could very well translate to some future success as the season progresses. Bros is nothing short of groundbreaking, and that narrative might be something worth bringing attention to.
Terence Blanchard wins Feature Score
If Terence Blanchard is on waivers right now, request him right now. The two-time Oscar nominee (BlacKkKlansman, Da 5 Bloods) won Best Score for a Feature Film, beating out other big names such as John Williams (who wasn’t even nominated), Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, Carter Burwell, Nicholas Britell, Danny Elfman, and Hildur Guðnadóttir. The last winner of this category last year was Nicholas Britell for Don’t Look Up, who went on to score an Oscar nomination. The last winner of this category to not score an Oscar nomination was Max Richter in 2018 with Mary Queen of Scots, and that was after Oneohtrix Point Never missed an Oscar nom for Good Time. These nominations are always a little quirky, so exercise caution, but if you’re short a composer on your roster, you could do worse than Terence Blanchard.
Killing Me Softly with His Songs wins best Music Doc
Don’t be wooed by this if you’re looking for a sleeper documentary. This is about Charles Fox, one of the most famous composers in modern history who worked extensively on film and television too. It’s no wonder the Hollywood MUSIC in MEDIA Awards honored this documentary about Fox. It’s not getting buzz anywhere else, so this is just a flash in the pan.
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