For our first Rundown article, we are looking at the music categories. After the jump, you’ll find our winner and runner-up predictions for Best Original Score and Best Original Song as well as general commentary about the race. Friday, we’ll cover the first category where a major upset left one of the key competitors off this year’s list.

Best Original Score

Winner Predictions

• The Grand Budapest Hotel (WL R) [New] (PP O) (TB R) [New]
• The Imitation Game
• Interstellar
• Mr. Turner
• The Theory of Everything (TL O)

Runner-Up Predictions

• The Imitation Game (WL R) (PP O)(TL O)
• The Theory of Everything (TB O)

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Wesley Lovell: I feel this may finally be Alexandre Desplat’s year. In spite of the history of double nominations being against him, his two signature works this year may have finally reached the must-honor-him threshold. When you look at the competition, there’s only one other contender that could possibly beat him: The Theory of Everything. That said, I originally had The Imitation Game predicted, but after careful consideration, it’s just not memorable enough to win and it seems like Harvey’s struggling to push the film like he once did, so getting Desplat a win after these many years is tough. However, as anyone who’s ever watched a Wes Anderson film knows, the musical score is as eclectic as the films themselves, which gives him a bit of a leg-up on the competition because it’s memorable and with Grand Budapest going over so well in general, I suspect that will be where they finally honor his work.
Peter J. Patrick: The score for The Grand Budapest Hotel is grand indeed and should be an easy winner with The Imitation Game providing its strongest competition.
Tripp Burton: Now this is a category with a lot of questions and a number of directions voters can turn. Alexandre Desplat has eight nominations in less than a decade, but he hasn’t won yet. With two nominations this year, will he finally win, or will he be left aside again? Johann Johannsson won the Golden Globe for The Theory of Everything, and even the film’s detractors tend to praise the score. Hans Zimmer is an Oscar favorite, and if Mr. Turner starts running the tables with some technical awards it could pick this win up along the way. This is not going to be clear until the envelope is opened, but for now I would lean towards a long-awaited win for Desplat.
Thomas La Tourrette: I think Johann Johannsson’s Golden Globe winning score from The Theory of Everything will also prevail here. His closest competition will be from Alexandre Desplat who may knock himself out of the winner’s circle with competing nominations. The jaunty score of The Grand Budapest Hotel is probably more memorable than the one from The Imitation Game, but if the Academy chooses to honor him, it would probably be from the more somber score. However, he may well end up winless on his 7th and 8th nominations. Hans Zimmer’s lush score from Interstellar is more typical of past winners, but I think it won’t be enough to get him his second Oscar. I think Johannsson will be winning on his first nomination.

Best Original Song

Winner Predictions

• Everything Is Awesome – The Lego Movie
• Glory – Selma (WL O) (PP O) (TB O) (TL O)
• Grateful – Beyond the Lights
• I’m Not Gonna Miss You – Glen Campbell…I’ll Be Me
• Lost Stars – Begin Again

Runner-Up Predictions

• Everything Is Awesome – The Lego Movie (WL O) (PP O)
• I’m Not Gonna Miss You – Glen Campbell…I’ll Be Me (TB O) (TL R) [New]

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Wesley Lovell: Until Selma‘s general snub this year, I was leaning towards “Everything Is Awesome.” However, having now heard “Glory,” I have little doubt it will carry the day even without the controversy. “Everything Is Awesome” is infectious and ingenuously used and will be the only place fans of the film can honor it, but I don’t think it will be enough. I won’t thoroughly dismiss everything else, though “Grateful” should take its title literally. “Lost Stars” could be the latest in a string of songs from films about making music to win, but “I’m Not Gonna Miss You” will be the last time anyone will be able to honor country legend Glen Campbell.
Peter J. Patrick: The anthem sung over the end titles of Selma is most likely going to win this if only as a consolation prize for the film’s lack of nominations for anything else except Best Picture. The hilarious “Everything Is Awesome” is the only other nominee I see getting enough votes to provide a possible upset.
Tripp Burton: This is a stacked category this year, with some big names, some popular movies and some songs people really like. Both Selma and The Lego Movie came away nominations morning disappointed in their haul, and this is the best chance either beloved film has to win an Oscar. My guess is that both teams are pushing hard. You also have legend Glen Campbell, whose story of writing this song in the midst of his fight with Alzheimer’s could pull a lot of heartstrings. I will say that the Selma song goes home with it.
Thomas La Tourrette: “Everything is Awesome” is definitely the bounciest tune of the bunch, but I could see it being too slight to win, unless Academy members want to make up for the snub of The Lego Movie not being up for animated feature. That leaves “Glory” as the likely winner, having already picked up the Golden Globe. Begin Again was probably used best as a song in a film, but if something else were to prevail, I think it would be “I’m Not Gonna Miss You” from the Glen Campbell documentary. It is his first and likely his last nomination, so sentiment could play a factor. “Glory” still seems the likely winner.

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