1.From NYU to The Academy – Golden from K-Pop Demon Hunters
Composers: EJAE, Mark Sonnenblick, Joong Gyu Kwak, Yu Han Lee, Hee Dong Nam, Jeong Hoon Seo, and Teddy Park
The chart-topping hit “Golden” from the Netflix movie K-Pop Demon Hunters is set to break several global records if it wins the Best Original Song category at the upcoming Oscars. The song features seven composers (one of whom is an NYU graduate!), the most in Oscar history; the previous record was four composers. Six of the seven composers are also of South Korean birth and origin, making them the first South Koreans to win the award. Golden’s nomination in this category is a celebration of K-Pop culture and serves to show the Academy’s continued integration of global cultures and arts into its awards.
2. Vampires and The Blues – I Lied To You from Sinners
Composed by Raphael Saadiq and Ludwig Göransson.
Blending visual storytelling with profound music and lyricism, the movie Sinners took the world by storm upon its release. Set in the 1930s, the movie follows the journey of twin brothers who return to their hometown in Mississippi and encounter vampires as they defend their community. Set in the Southern US during the Jim Crow era, the film’s music focused heavily on blues and gospel, which defined the time period. I Lied To You was composed by collaborators R&B songwriter and producer Raphael Saadiq and Swedish composer Ludwig Göransson, who has previously won two Academy Awards for Best Original Score for the movies Black Panther and Oppenheimer. If I Lied To You wins at the Oscars, it would cement Göransson as one of the most reputable composers in history and could potentially lead to more collaborations between distinguished artists for creating film scores.
3. An Escape to Childhood – Dear Me from Diane Warren: Relentless
Composed by Diane Warren
Diane Warren: Relentless chronicles the story of the famous songwriter Diane Warren from her childhood growing up in Van Nuys, California, to writing over 400 songs for famous artists, including Beyonce, Cher, and Toni Braxton, to name a few. Over the course of her career, Warren has received over 16 Oscar nominations for Best Original Song, making this her 17th. A poignant tribute to her childhood self, Dear Me is a letter to a teenage Warren who was bullied and misunderstood, telling her that her dreams were worth fighting for. Warren collaborated with Kesha, the recording artist, on the song because Warren felt that Kesha’s personal battles with adversity would help evoke similar emotions in the performance as they did for Warren while writing the song. If Warren wins the award for Best Song, it would not only be an achievement of a lifetime of songwriting but a symbol of perseverance and resilience through the odds endured by a young girl from California who dared to dream despite everything around her saying she shouldn’t
4. Life Through Loss – Train Dreams From Train Dreams
Composed by Nick Cave and Bryce Dessner
The movie Train Dreams follows the life of logger Robert Grainier as he encounters isolation and loss while navigating the rapid modernization of 20th-century America. With the same name as the movie, the song “Train Dreams” was composed by Nick Cave and Bryce Dessner, with the former getting the idea for the song from a “fever dream” after watching the movie. If Train Dreams wins at the Oscars, it would signify a shift from the recent trend of movies pursuing soundtracks for TikTok virality to an approach where music is chosen to complement the film content instead.
5. The Persistence of Music – Sweet Dreams of Joy from Viva Verdi
Composed by Nicholas Pike
Viva Verdi documents the lives of celebrated opera singers, now retired, who live in Casa Verdi, a retirement home in Milan built by the renowned composer Giuseppe Verdi. The documentary follows the lives of these retired musicians as they mentor young music students who live among them. Inspired by the lives of these residents who remained passionate about their music, Nicholas Pike composed Sweet Dreams of Joy, an aria that soprano Ava Maria Martinez later performed as a tribute to these musicians. If Sweet Dreams of Joy wins at the 2026 Oscars, it will not only be a celebration of these individuals who have dedicated their entire lives to the pursuit of music, but it will also signify that opera as an art form remains vital and has the potential to successfully serve sync purposes, despite recent claims that opera has become an obsolete form of art.
Conclusion – Despite who ultimately wins the Best Original Song award at the upcoming Oscars on March 15th, this group of nominees proves that music for film, often considered an afterthought, is a transformative force that amplifies the film’s impact as a whole.