After decades of frustration with the ridiculous methodology and dubious merit of the
"Best Original Score" categories (and their variations) at major awards ceremonies,
Filmtracks decided to no longer provide coverage of such fraudulent popularity
contests. Notes about the award consideration earned by scores and composers continue
to be marked in the individual reviews and composer tributes, but no special mention
of the major international awards (nominations or winners) exists on Filmtracks'
homepage or in this awards section. The lists of past winners of Oscars and Golden
Globes that occupied this directory from 1996 to 2009 are no longer available, though
this information is easy to find at other sites for those in need of a good laugh (or
cry). Read more about
the reasons for this permanent dismissal of industry awards.
Filmtracks, of course, has maintained its own opinions about which scores should be
nominated and awarded every year. In this directory, you will find this site's choices
from 1989 to the present (essentially the Digital Age of film music), each list of
nominations denoted by a check mark (
)
to indicate the winner, if any. The selections have changed slightly through the
years, taking into account additional scores that have become available (and
subsequently reviewed) from older years. Filmtracks also originally featured split
categories to match the Academy Awards format in the mid-1990's. A fuller analysis of
each year's selections from 1996 to 2002 was summarized in the old "Theme of the
Month" articles as well (available in this site's archives and reflective of the
original, unaltered choices). To visit the review listings for individual scores by
their year of composition or release, browse through the
Reviews by Year section.
Starting with the 2009 awards, Filmtracks expanded its own nomination categories from
the traditional "Best Film Score" selections to also include "Best Composer" and "Best
Film Cues." Older years will subsequently be revisited to match this format. The top
category typically features five nominees, but can occasionally expand to six in a
strong year. A runner-up and honorable mentions in that field are often provided, too.
The "Best Composer" category usually contains three nominees but can expand to five.
The "Best Film Cues" category, representing what Filmtracks would consider a
compilation of the top music from the year, typically features fifteen nominees but
can expand to twenty. Summaries about the strength of the given year is now standard
as well. A significant amount of time is spent listening to the field of eligible
scores each year to produce these awards, so even if you don't see a particular score
reviewed at the site, it was likely considered as part of that survey.
Announcements about Filmtracks' nominees and winners are typically made annually each March.
