Best Original Score Winners

Best Original Score

Since 1934 the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has honored the work of composers that have contributed their music to film. Music was initially seen as a way to cover up the sound of projectors in silent film houses. With the introduction of sound films, composers were given a chance to provide something more. Since then film scores have created character identities and helped make movies memorable. This category has produced some of the most awarded members of the film community. Alfred Newman won this award nine times, the most of any composer. John Williams has won five times out of 44 nominations. The many composers who have contributed their work to films have certainly left their mark on the industry.

The Winning Films Are…

1934 – One Night of Love

1935 – The Informer

1936 – Anthony Adverse

1937 – One Hundred Men and a Girl

1938

• Best Original Score – The Adventures of Robin Hood
• Best Scoring – Alexander’s Ragtime Band

1939 –

• Best Original Score – The Wizard of Oz
• Best Scoring – Stagecoach

1940 –

• Best Original Score – Pinocchio
• Best Scoring – Tin Pan Alley

1941 –

• Best Scoring of a Dramatic Picture – All That Money Can Buy
• Best Scoring of a Musical Picture – Dumbo

1942 –

• Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture – Now, Voyager
• Best Scoring of a Musical Picture – Yankee Doodle Dandy

1943 –

• Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture – The Song of Bernadette
  
• Best Scoring of a Musical Picture – This Is the Army

1944 –

• Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture – Since You Went Away
  
• Best Scoring of a Musical Picture – Cover Girl
  

1945 –

• Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture – Spellbound
  
• Best Scoring of a Musical Picture – Anchors Aweigh
  

1946 –

• Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture – The Best Years of Our Lives
  
• Best Scoring of a Musical Picture – The Jolson Story
  

1947 –

• Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture – A Double Life
  
• Best Scoring of a Musical Picture – Mother Wore Tights
  

1948 –

• Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture – The Red Shoes
  
• Best Scoring of a Musical Picture – Easter Parade
  

1949 –

• Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture – The Heiress
  
• Best Scoring of a Musical Picture – On the Town
  

1950 –

• Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture – Sunset Blvd.
  
• Best Scoring of a Musical Picture – Annie Get Your Gun
  

1951 –

• Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture – A Place in the Sun
  
• Best Scoring of a Musical Picture – An American in Paris
  

1952 –

• Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture – High Noon
  
• Best Scoring of a Musical Picture – With a Song in My Heart
  

1953 –

• Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture – Lili
  
• Best Scoring of a Musical Picture – Call Me Madam
  

1954 –

• Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture – The High and the Mighty
  
• Best Scoring of a Musical Picture – Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
  

1955 –

• Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture – Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing
  
• Best Scoring of a Musical Picture – Oklahoma!

1956 –

• Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture – Around the World in 80 Days
  
• Best Scoring of a Musical Picture – The King and I
  

1957 –

• Best Original Score – The Bridge on the River Kwai
  

1958 –

• Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture – The Old Man and the Sea
  
• Best Scoring of a Musical Picture – Gigi

1959 –

• Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture – Ben-Hur
  
• Best Scoring of a Musical Picture – Porgy and Bess
  

1960 –

• Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture – Exodus
  
• Best Scoring of a Musical Picture – Song Without End (The Story of Franz Liszt)
  

1961 –

• Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture – Breakfast at Tiffany’s
  
• Best Scoring of a Musical Picture – West Side Story
  

1962 –

• Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture – Lawrence of Arabia
  
• Best Scoring of a Musical Picture – The Music Man
  

1963 –

• Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture – Tom Jones
  
• Best Scoring of a Musical Picture – Irma la Douce
  

1964 –

• Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture – Mary Poppins
  
• Best Scoring of a Musical Picture – My Fair Lady
  

1965 –

• Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture – Doctor Zhivago
  
• Best Scoring of a Musical Picture – The Sound of Music
  

1966 –

• Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture – Born Free
  
• Best Scoring of a Musical Picture – A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
  

1967 –

• Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture – Thoroughly Modern Millie
  
• Best Scoring of a Musical Picture – Camelot

1968 –

• Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture – The Lion in Winter
  
• Best Scoring of a Musical Picture – Oliver!

1969 –

• Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture – Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
  
• Best Scoring of a Musical Picture – Hello, Dolly!
  

1970 –

• Best Original Score – Love Story
  
• Best Original Song Score – Let It Be
  

1971 –

• Best Original Dramatic Score – Summer of ’42
  
• Best Original Song Score – Fiddler on the Roof
  

1972 –

• Best Original Dramatic Score – Limelight
  
• Best Original Song Score and Adaptation – Cabaret

1973 –

• Best Original Dramatic Score – The Way We Were
  
• Best Original Song Score and Adaptation – The Sting
  

1974 –

• Best Original Dramatic Score – The Godfather: Part II
  
• Best Original Song Score and Adaptation – The Great Gatsby
  

1975 –

• Best Original Dramatic Score – Jaws
  
• Best Scoring of a Musical Picture – Barry Lyndon
  

1976 –

• Best Original Score – The Omen
  
• Best Original Song Score and Adaptation – Bound for Glory

1977 –

• Best Original Score – Star Wars
  
• Best Original Song Score and Adaptation – A Little Night Music

1978 –

• Best Original Score – Midnight Express
• Best Adaptation Score – The Buddy Holly Story

1979 –

• Best Original Score – A Little Romance
• Best Original Song Score and Adaptation – All That Jazz

1980 –

• Best Original Score – Fame

1981 –

• Best Original Score – Chariots of Fire

1982 –

• Best Original Score – E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
• Best Original Song Score and Adaptation – Victor Victoria

1983 –

• Best Original Score – The Right Stuff
• Best Original Song Score and Adaptation – Yentl

1984 –

• Best Original Score – A Passage to India
• Best Original Song Score – Purple Rain
  

1985 –

• Best Original Score – Out of Africa
  

1986 –

• Best Original Score – Round Midnight
  

1987 –

• Best Original Score – The Last Emperor

1988 –

• Best Original Score – The Milagro Beanfield War

1989 –

• Best Original Score – The Little Mermaid

1990 –

• Best Original Score – Dances with Wolves

1991 –

• Best Original Score – Beauty and the Beast

1992 –

• Best Original Score – Aladdin

1993 –

• Best Original Score – Schindler’s List

1994 –

• Best Original Score – The Lion King

1995 –

• Best Dramatic Score – The Postman
• Best Musical or Comedy Score – Pocahontas

1996 –

• Best Dramatic Score – The English Patient
  
• Best Musical or Comedy Score – Emma

1997 –

• Best Dramatic Score – Titanic
• Best Musical or Comedy Score – The Full Monty
  

1998 –

• Best Dramatic Score – Life is Beautiful
  
• Best Musical or Comedy Score – Shakespeare in Love
  

1999 –

• Best Original Score – The Red Violin

2000 –

• Best Original Score – Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

2001 –

• Best Original Score – The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings

2002 –

• Best Original Score – Frida

2003 –

• Best Original Score – The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

2004 –

• Best Original Score – Finding Neverland

2005 –

• Best Original Score – Brokeback Mountain

2006 –

• Best Original Score – Babel

2007 –

• Best Original Score – Atonement

2008 –

• Best Original Score – Slumdog Millionaire

2009 –

• Best Original Score – Up

2010 –

• Best Original Score – The Social Network

2011 –

• Best Original Score – The Artist

2012 –

• Best Original Score – Life of Pi

2013 –

• Best Original Score – Gravity

2014 –

• Best Original Score – The Grand Budapest Hotel

2015 –

• Best Original Score – The Hateful Eight

2016 –

• Best Original Score – La La Land