Certain Academy Award categories are hard to predict simply because each use of the given film technique can be so different. Best Original Score is one of these categories in my mind. A sonic complement to a film can be so unique to the experience of a given film that it is hard to compare that score to scores of other films. It is a qualitative comparison that can be quite difficult in Oscar predicting.

Luckily, this year’s Academy Awards has a strong musical.

Best Original Score:

• Jackie – Mica Levi
• La La Land – Justin Hurwitz
• Lion – Dustin O’Halloran, Volker Bertelmann
• Moonlight – Nicholas Britell
• Passengers – Thomas Newman

Will Win: La La Land

Could Win: Moonlight

Dark Horse: Lion

 

This is not a hard decision. Will La La Land win 14 Academy Awards? I don’t think so. But 12? It’s possible. Either way, Best Score is a clear shoo-in for La La Land. All of these scores are good (some better than others…Passengers?), but it would be surprising to see anything upend La La Land in a musical category.

 

As always, thanks for reading!

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—Alex Brannan (@TheAlexBrannan)