The 2025 Golden Globes Awards came early this year- what was immediately discussed was rising stand-up Nikki Glaser’s politically driven opening monologue as host, along with awkward camera angles (as called out by Seth Rogen when he was presenting). For those of us who love and appreciate music featured in movies, it was a big night. A Complete Unknown, James Mangold’s biopic about the early years of Bob Dylan’s career, received numerous nominations. Musicals Emilia Perez and Wicked took home the awards for Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy and Cinematic and Box Office Achievement, respectively. We looked closer at the winners and nominees of the two music awards, highlighting how essential a good song or score is to elevate a film.
Best Original Score - Motion Picture
Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, "Challengers" — Winner
Zendaya
Mike Faist
Josh O'Connor
Bryan Doo
Shane T Harris
Nada Despotovich
Joan Mcshane
Chris Fowler
Mary Joe Fernández
A.J. Lister
Connor Aulson
Check out the full Challengers soundtrack here.
Volker Bertelmann, "Conclave"
Ralph Fiennes
Stanley Tucci
John Lithgow
Isabella Rossellini
Lucian Msamati
Carlos Diehz
Sergio Castellitto
Brían F. O'Byrne
Merab Ninidze
Thomas Loibl
Jacek Koman
Bruno Novelli
Check out the full Conclave soundtrack here.
Daniel Blumberg, "The Brutalist"
Adrien Brody
Felicity Jones
Guy Pearce
Joe Alwyn
Raffey Cassidy
Stacy Martin
Emma Laird
Isaach de Bankolé
Alessandro Nivola
Benett Vilmányi
Michael Epp
Jonathan Hyde
Check out the full The Brutalist soundtrack here.
Kris Bowers, "The Wild Robot"
Lupita Nyong'o
Pedro Pascal
Kit Connor
Bill Nighy
Stephanie Hsu
Matt Berry
Ving Rhames
Mark Hamill
Catherine O'Hara
Boone Storm
Alexandra Novelle
Raphael Alejandro
Check out the full The Wild Robot soundtrack here.
Clément Ducol, Camille, "Emilia Pérez"
Karla Sofía Gascón
Zoe Saldaña
Selena Gomez
Adriana Paz
Edgar Ramírez
Mark Ivanir
Eduardo Aladro
Emiliano Hasan
Gaël Murgia-Fur
Tirso Pietriga
Xiomara Ahumada Quito
Magali Brito
Check out the full Emilia Pérez soundtrack here.
Hans Zimmer, "Dune: Part Two"
Timothée Chalamet
Zendaya
Rebecca Ferguson
Javier Bardem
Josh Brolin
Austin Butler
Florence Pugh
Dave Bautista
Christopher Walken
Léa Seydoux
Stellan Skarsgård
Charlotte Rampling
Indeed, this group has some worthy winners, but the Globes got it right. When the film Challengers is mentioned in discussion, Reznor and Ross’ electrifying score is always one of the first qualities brought up. Pulsating, riveting electronica makes tennis as frenetic and flat-out sexy as can be. Bertelmann’s Conclave adds a Hitchcockian element to the suspense permeating underneath what seems to be a bunch of aging men in rooms talking (don’t get me wrong, the banter is brilliant, particularly with Stanley Tucci’s character, but the story’s outcome certainly doesn’t evoke that many jaw-drops). At the same time, Blumberg’s Brutalist score begs the audience to find profundity in each frame. Both are effective, but the work awarded here feels more honest and provocative. It may seem like a game of tennis, but it’s really a battle for one of the more dangerous femme fatales in recent memory.
Best Original Song — Motion Picture
"El Mal," by Clément Ducol, Camille and Jacques Audiard (from "Emilia Pérez") — Winner
"Mi Camino," by Clément Ducol and Camille (from "Emilia Pérez")
Karla Sofía Gascón
Zoe Saldaña
Selena Gomez
Adriana Paz
Edgar Ramírez
Mark Ivanir
Eduardo Aladro
Emiliano Hasan
Gaël Murgia-Fur
Tirso Pietriga
Xiomara Ahumada Quito
Magali Brito
"Beautiful That Way," by Miley Cyrus, Lykke Li, and Andrew Wyatt (from "The Last Showgirl")
Pamela Anderson
Jamie Lee Curtis
Dave Bautista
Brenda Song
Kiernan Shipka
Billie Lourd
John Clofine
Jason Schwartzman
Patrick Hilgart
Jesse Phillips
David Avne
Sean Patrick Bryan
Check out the full The Last Showgirl soundtrack here.
"Compress/Repress," by Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross & Luca Guadagnino (from "Challengers")
Zendaya
Mike Faist
Josh O'Connor
Bryan Doo
Shane T Harris
Nada Despotovich
Joan Mcshane
Chris Fowler
Mary Joe Fernández
A.J. Lister
Connor Aulson
"Forbidden Road," by Robbie Williams, Freddy Wexler & Sacha Skarbek ("Better Man")
Robbie Williams
Jonno Davies
Raechelle Banno
Damon Herriman
Steve Pemberton
Alison Steadman
Kate Mulvany
Frazer Hadfield
Tom Budge
Anthony Hayes
Jake Simmance
Jesse Hyde
Check out the full Better Man soundtrack here.
"Kiss The Sky," by Delacey, Jordan Johnson, Stefan Johnson, Maren Morris, Michael Pollack & Ali Tamposi (from "The Wild Robot")
Lupita Nyong'o
Pedro Pascal
Kit Connor
Bill Nighy
Stephanie Hsu
Matt Berry
Ving Rhames
Mark Hamill
Catherine O'Hara
Boone Storm
Alexandra Novelle
Raphael Alejandro
The amount of controversy Emilia Perez has garnered seems appropriate. As someone who has been referred to as “exotic,” it’s easy to empathize with those who find the film racist and transphobic. If we remove those criticisms and judge the work, it still doesn’t feel as deserving as the Challengers’ “Compress/Repress.” It’s a weak list of nominees, from the box office and critical bomb Better Man sneaking in to Perez having two songs on board. Babygirl and Wicked had strong original compositions that would’ve deserved more.
The Golden Globes have always been a party for those who worked hard all year in film and television and are fortunate enough to be recognized for their work. Rather than have all that Oscars esteem, they drink, eat, and laugh all night while being on live television. It leaves room for daring comedians to engage in an unmerciful roast session against Hollywood’s elite, and that’s what keeps viewers returning year after year. As for award credibility, not so much. Some years, they got it right, such as giving Best Picture - Drama to The Social Network or Best Picture - Musical or Comedy to Lady Bird. Still, when one takes a closer look at the list of nominees, one will see that influencer status is what the Hollywood Foreign Press honestly cares about.
