Legendary composer Hans Zimmer didn’t mince words when he was asked about the Golden Globes quietly sidelining the Best Original Score category from the main telecast. Speaking on the red carpet, the two-time Oscar winner called the decision “a shame” and said it showed a worrying lack of respect for the people who help define a film’s emotional soul.
While the Golden Globes have expanded their ceremony with new crowd-friendly categories in recent years, Zimmer made it clear that trimming core technical honours isn’t the way forward.
“Don’t Ignore the Composers”
Zimmer expressed disappointment that a category recognising composers was pushed into a commercial break, especially in what he described as an exceptional year for film music.
“This year is a fantastic year for composers,” he said, adding pointedly, “Don’t ignore them — you don’t have a movie without them.”
He also highlighted the physical and emotional toll filmmaking takes, joking about how little time people like him spend at home. Beneath the humour was a serious message: every department works relentlessly, and music is not an optional extra.
“We’re the Psychological Undercurrent”
Expanding on his point, Zimmer explained how composers often step in when a director is completely drained.
“By the time we come to the music, the director has been through war,” he said. “Our first job is to remind them why they wanted to make the film in the first place.”
He didn’t hide his frustration either, saying the last-minute decision to exclude the category felt “ignorant” — especially given how deeply music shapes audience emotion and memory.
Why the Category Was Dropped
The Golden Globes organisers have been trying to tighten the ceremony’s runtime after years of fluctuating ratings. While viewership rebounded significantly compared to earlier lows, that push for a “crisper” show has come at the cost of technical categories like Best Original Score — even as newer additions such as Best Podcast and Best Stand-Up Comedian remain part of the live broadcast.
For many in the industry, Zimmer’s comments echoed a broader frustration: technical excellence is often the first thing sacrificed for spectacle.
Who Actually Won Best Original Score
Viewers watching the ceremony live may have missed it, but the Best Original Score trophy went to Ludwig Göransson for his powerful work in Sinners, directed by Ryan Coogler.
The category featured a strong lineup, including scores from Frankenstein, Hamnet, One Battle After Another, Sirāt, and F1 — further underscoring Zimmer’s argument that music deserved the spotlight this year.
A Final, Self-Deprecating Note
Despite his criticism, Zimmer still managed to laugh at the situation. He joked that there was one upside to the award not being televised: if he had won, he wouldn’t have had to make “an insane speech and embarrass humanity.”
Humour aside, his message was clear — cutting composers out of the main celebration sends the wrong signal, especially in a year when film music was one of cinema’s biggest strengths.
And judging by the reaction online, Zimmer isn’t alone in thinking the Golden Globes may have struck the wrong note this time.
