Film Score and Song Nominations at the HMMA
Robbie Robertson receives a posthumous nomination for his composition in Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” at the 2023 Hollywood Music in Media Awards (HMMA).
“Barbie” features prominently with two nods in the song – feature film category at the HMMAs. “I’m Just Ken” by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, and “What Was I Made For?” by Billie Eilish and Finneas, are both contenders. The ceremony is scheduled for November 15 at The Avalon in Hollywood, California, commencing at 8 p.m. PT.
Additional contenders for song – feature film include “The Fire Inside” from “Flamin’ Hot”; “High Life” from “Flora and Son”; “I Am” from “Origin”; “Road to Freedom” from “Rustin”; “This” from “The Beanie Bubble”; and “Keep It Movin’” from “The Color Purple.”
The HMMAs are viewed as precursors to the Oscars, with past HMMA victors like Eilish and Finneas for “No Time to Die,” Hans Zimmer for “Dune,” and others, later securing Oscars.
The HMMAs offer a broader range of categories for songs and scores compared to the Oscars, with six for songs and seven for scores.
Robertson, who passed away in August at 80, is honored with a nomination for score – feature film for “Killers of the Flower Moon,” marking his last collaboration with Scorsese.
Other nominees in the score – feature film category include works by Laura Karpman, Kris Bowers, Alexandre Desplat, Ludwig Göransson, Branford Marsalis, Anthony Willis, and the duo Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.
The song – onscreen performance category, which recognizes performers of songs within films, includes Halle Bailey with two nominations for “The Little Mermaid” and “The Color Purple.”
Nominees in this unique category also feature Megan Thee Stallion for “Dicks: The Musical,” NSYNC for “Trolls Band Together,” Ryan Gosling for “Barbie,” and Timothée Chalamet for “Wonka,” among others.
Olivia Rodrigo is acknowledged in the best song – sci-fi/fantasy category for “Can’t Catch Me Now,” co-written with Dan Nigro.
Marc Shaiman will be celebrated with an outstanding career achievement award at this year’s HMMAs.
Not all nominated films are released yet, but the HMMAs permit entries if composers submit a portion of their score along with the film’s visuals.
Oscar shortlists will be announced on December 21, with nominations following on January 23, 2024, and the awards presented on March 10, 2024.
The HMMA honors a wide array of visual media, including film, TV series, and video games. For the complete list of film category nominees and more, the HMMA website is the source for detailed information.
