Ludwig Göransson, who won an Oscar in March for best original score for Oppenheimer, and Billie Eilish and Finneas, who won an Oscar for best original song for “What Was I Made For?” from Barbie, could add to their considerable award collections at the 24th World Soundtrack Awards (WSA), which will be held on Wednesday Oct. 16 in Ghent, Belgium.
The awards are organized by Film Fest Gent, Belgium’s biggest international film festival.
Nominees in three categories – film composer of the year, television composer of the year and best original song – were announced and posted on Billboard.com on Aug. 7. A second wave of nominations were announced on Friday (Sept. 13).
Two of the nominees for the discovery of the year award – Jerskin Fendrix (Poor Things) and Anthony Willis (Saltburn) are also nominated for film composer of the year, where they will compete with veterans Göransson, Laura Karpman and Hans Zimmer.
Three of the five nominees for film composer of the year are represented with multiple works. Fendrix’s entry includes both Poor Things and Kinds of Kindness, director Yorgos Lanthimos’ follow-up to Poor Things. Karpman’s entry includes her Oscar-nominated score for American Fiction, her score for the 2023 film The Marvels and her Emmy-nominated score for Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed. Zimmer’s entry includes his scores for the 2023 film The Creator and the 2024 film Dune: Part Two.
Veteran composer Elliot Goldenthal is set to receive the WSA lifetime achievement award for his contribution to film and television music. Goldenthal won an Oscar for best original score in 2003 for Frida and was nominated for a Primetime Emmy the following year – outstanding music composition for a miniseries, movie or a special (dramatic underscore) for Dance in America: Lar Lubovitch’s Othello (Great Performances).
Here’s a complete list of nominees in all categories.
Film composer of the year
Jerskin Fendrix | Kinds of Kindness; Poor Things
Ludwig Göransson | Oppenheimer
Laura Karpman | American Fiction; The Marvels; Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed
Anthony Willis | Saltburn
Hans Zimmer | Dune: Part Two; The Creator
Television composer of the year
Nick Chuba, Atticus Ross, Leopold Ross | Shōgun
Natalie Holt | Loki
James Newton Howard | All the Light We Cannot See
Martin Phipps | The Crown
Carlos Rafael Rivera | Griselda; Lessons in Chemistry; Monsieur Spade
Jeff Russo | Fargo; Ripley
Best original song
“Dance the Night” from Barbie | written by Mark Ronson, Andrew Wyatt, Caroline Ailin, Dua Lipa | performed by: Dua Lipa
“I’m Just Ken” from Barbie | written by Andrew Wyatt, Mark Ronson | performed by: Ryan Gosling
“It Never Went Away” from American Symphony | written by Dan Wilson, Jon Batiste | performed by: Jon Batiste
“Road to Freedom” from Rustin | written and performed by Lenny Kravitz
“Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People)” from Killers of the Flower Moon | written by Scott George | performed by Osage Tribal Singers
“What Was I Made For?” from Barbie | written by Finneas O’Connell, Billie Eilish | performed by Billie Eilish
“You’ve Never Had Chocolate Like This” from Wonka | written by Neil Hannon, Paul King, Simon Farnaby | performed by Timothée Chalamet, The Cast of Wonka
Discovery of the year award
In the Land of Saints and Sinners | Diego Baldenweg with Nora Baldenweg and Lionel Baldenweg
Poor Things | Jerskin Fendrix
Ezra | Carlos Rafael Rivera
Julie Keeps Quiet (Julie zwijgt) | Caroline Shaw
Saltburn | Anthony Wills
Public choice award
Dune: Part Two | Hans Zimmer
In the Land of Saints and Sinners | Diego Baldenweg with Nora Baldenweg and Lionel Baldenweg
La Guerra dei Nonni | Umberto Scipione
Saltburn | Anthony Willis
Young Woman and the Sea | Amelia Warner
WSA game music award
“Guild Wars 2: Secrets of the Obscure” | Maclaine Diemer, Bryan Atkinson, Bobby Brader, Jarryd Elias, Jaimee Jimin Park, Michael Paraskevas, Bobby Rose
“Jagged Alliance 3” | George Strezov
“Slay the Princess” | Brandon Boone
“Tales of Kenzera: Zau” | Nainita Desai
“The Outlast Trials” | Tom Salta
Best original score for a Belgian production
Skunk | Amenra
When it Melts | Bjorn Eriksson
Wil | Geert Hellings
Sabam award for best original composition by a young composer
Alex Mansour
Georg Mausolf
Florian van der Reijden