Will John Williams Win His Sixth Oscar in 2027?

[Ricard 2,716]

Here are some other possible contenders, for reference:

 

Behemoth! (James Newton Howard and Alan Silvestri)

Digger (Bryce Dessner)

Dune: Part Three (Hans Zimmer)

Fatherland (Marcin Maseki)

Jake of Spades (Carter Burwell)

Narnia: The Magician's Nephew (Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt)

Project Hail Mary (Daniel Pemberton)

Ray Gunn (Michael Giacchino)

The Adventures of Cliff Booth (Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross)

The Odyssey (Ludwig Goransson)

The Social Reckoning (Alexandre Desplat)

Wild Horse Nine (Carter Burwell)

[Quintus 6,674]

Goransson is already my bet just because he'll be trendy at the time.

 

John Williams should be given one more though, obviously.

[artguy360 2,282]

The only Oscar JW is gonna win at this point is a lifetime achievement academy honorary award.

[Luke Skywalker 2,412]

4 minutes ago, artguy360 said:

The only Oscar JW is gonna win at this point is a lifetime achievement academy honorary award.

And probably as a posthumously afterthought.

[Jay 46,840]

7 minutes ago, artguy360 said:

The only Oscar JW is gonna win at this point is a lifetime achievement academy honorary award.

 

Yes

1 minute ago, Luke Skywalker said:

And probably as a posthumously afterthought.

 

 I hope not!

[benoitjean 163]

I voted for the nomination, but I hope I'm wrong because he deserves it. 

JB

[Ricard 2,716]

What would be the reasoning behind him not winning an Oscar next year?

[filmmusic 3,320]

13 minutes ago, Ricard said:

What would be the reasoning behind him not winning an Oscar next year?

Too old fashioned score? People (and critics) hail now musical rugs without any artistic merit?

He has enough scores and someone else should win for a change?

[Tom 6,988]

35 minutes ago, Ricard said:

What would be the reasoning behind him not winning an Oscar next year?

The irrationality of the voters--an irrationality that has played out way too many times.  

[Ricard 2,716]

 

32 minutes ago, filmmusic said:

Too old fashioned score? People (and critics) hail now musical rugs without any artistic merit?

He has enough scores and someone else should win for a change?

 

That makes perfect sense, and that's exactly what's been happening for decades. But perhaps those rules do not apply to a score whose existence defies all logic by itself.

[King Mark 4,019]

he'll be nominated and won't win. Ludwig Goranson will score the Oscar bait movie of the year and win again for a mediocre score.

[Arnaud2 120]

1 hour ago, Ricard said:

What would be the reasoning behind him not winning an Oscar next year?

It would be a miracle if the film was an Oscar contender.

[Mr. Hooper 9,434]

4 hours ago, Ricard said:

That makes perfect sense, and that's exactly what's been happening for decades. But perhaps those rules do not apply to a score whose existence defies all logic by itself.

 

Entirely possible he'll get the sympathy vote, sure. And Spielberg will probably lobby to make it happen.

 

I don't see Göransson winning back-to-back Academy Awards.

[Sandor 928]

John Williams could very possibly win. His ‘Ennio Hateful Eight moment’. At his age and the reputation behind him, it would be such a great headliner for the Academy and the industry. 

 

With the politics that happen behind the scenes, don’t rule this scenario out so easily. 

[Richard P 5,339]

If the film is well-receieved and it becomes fashionable to praise it, I can see it happening.

 

But that's the issue - it's almost never based on the score alone. The general buzz around the film itself has to be watertight.

[Sandor 928]

5 minutes ago, Richard P said:

If the film is well-receieved and it becomes fashionable to praise it, iI can see it happening.

 

But that's the issue - it's almost never based on the score alone. The general buzz around the film itself has to be watertight.

Yes, very true. It will be dependent on a combination of what you said and my previous post. 

[Quintus 6,674]

If he wants this he should attend in his wheelchair.

[Pawel P. 989]

I voted yes, although of course I have my doubts...

 

I also think it's virtually guaranteed to receive two Grammy nominations, for Best Instrumental Composition and Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media. Williams will probably win one, bringing his total to 28.

[ConorPower 191]

1 hour ago, Sandor said:

John Williams could very possibly win. His ‘Ennio Hateful Eight moment’. 

 

Though in Morricone's case, he had never one a competitive Oscar. So perhaps the Academy felt a greater needed to award him than they will with Williams. 

[benoitjean 163]

I agree about the honorary Oscar. I'm even certain he won't want it. 
He even composed "Overture" for the  Oscars for them. 

JB 

4 hours ago, benoitjean said:

 

[QuartalHarmony 1,031]

Whatever the Academy decide to do, in their 'wisdom', it won't be because of any especially musical considerations.

 

Any time a score with genuine musical interest, originality or just general awesomeness wins an Oscar, I tend to regard it as a happy coincidence, nothing more.

[Leia Sees Ghosts 383]

Will actually have to listen to the other scores to really get a grasp of whether or not he can win. Maybe they'll give him a legacy win since this isn't Star Wars or Indiana Jones.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 12,745]

22 hours ago, Quintus said:

Goransson is already my bet just because he'll be trendy at the time.

 

John Williams should be given one more though, obviously.

 

Its the name! Ludwig Göransson is just far more artistic sounding than John Williams.

[Bellosh 4,553]

he should win every year he's nominated

[Damien F 2,146]

If it gets a Best Picture nom and a Best Director nom, JW will probably be nominated too. Unlikely to win however unless the voting body breaks from the type of scores they have awarded in recent years. A 94 year old coming out of semi-retirement after a health issue to score a film for his long-standing directing partner is a feel-good story that the Academy likes however, so that may work in his favour.

[hornist 1,270]

I think he might win. This is the(last) year of pencil&paper&heart. Those generic computer owners will have plenty of chances.

[Marian Schedenig 11,892]

A nomination can be expected - no nomination would be unprecedented for such a milestone at this point in his career. I wouldn't rule out a win if enough of the voters are aware of how special an occasion this is, though I guess it's not very likely.

[eitam 447]

Not being nominated would be a big surprise. A win is a long shot, but if the movie manages to stay or come back in the conversation next february, and if the music is noticeable enough, I can see it happen.

[Smeltington 2,032]

If Spielberg knows something, and more alien stuff is disclosed right in the middle of award season, and it becomes very politicized, then his film will become timely, relevant, and most of all "important" and Williams could win.

[Toillion 441]

I think Ludwig Göransson is a lock for a nomination but won’t win. I could see The Odyssey being well received but not as well as Oppenheimer (by critics). With him winning 2 of the last 3 years and 3 since 2018, they will deem a nomination good enough. 
 

Zimmer might get a nomination if he’s chasing awards. Dune 2 was left out due to the rule changes so he’d have to make it different enough. Even then I’m not sure if it would be enough to win. 
 

Williams has a great chance at a nomination. Like others said, I think a win depends on if the rest of the movie is also Oscar nominated and a box office hit. 

[QuartalHarmony 1,031]

18 hours ago, hornist said:

Those generic computer owners will have plenty of chances.

Anyone tried getting an AI bot to compose a film score? If all you need is something ‘adequate’, I suspect it’ll be fairly good. How long, I wonder, before an AI or AI-assisted score is up for an award?

 

3P scores (piano, pencil & paper) are surely now a thing of the past. Sadly.

[TheUlyssesian 2,768]

The nomination was guaranteed when it was announced he was scoring the film. 

 

The win is not. I think Ludwig Gorassnson will win. 

 

For Williams to even have the smallest chance - multiple things will need t happen - 

- Disclosure Day to be a big hit

- Disclosure Day to become a strong awards film - we are taking Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actress, Best Editing nominations etc.

- Odyssey would need to underperform a bit

- Odyssey to not be that well reviewed

- Ludwig's score not that acclaimed

- No other challenger to gain momentum

 

So you see its very difficult, bordering on unlikely. 

[Luke Skywalker 2,412]

19 hours ago, Damien F said:

A 94 year old coming out of semi-retirement after a health issue to score a film for his long-standing directing partner is a feel-good story that the Academy likes however, so that may work in his favour.

They would first need to disclose (pun intended) the story about Williams' health issue(s).

[mrbellamy 8,271]

2 hours ago, TheUlyssesian said:

- Odyssey to not be that well reviewed

- Ludwig's score not that acclaimed

- No other challenger to gain momentum

 

I think these are more key than the other factors. Odyssey isn't going to underperform at the box-office, it broke AMC yesterday. People went to the theater to stand in actual lines for tickets. But if everyone gets kinda sick of hearing about The Odyssey and it's not an awards frontrunner, the timing might be good for the first Williams win in a few decades to look more appealing to them than a fourth Goransson in one decade. 

 

I think Disclosure Day has to at least not be a bomb. It has to have a nice positive sheen to it by the end of the summer and the year, and it has to have made people feel happy and warm inside that Spielberg and John Williams went back to aliens. It does seem to have some potential for Best Picture and Best Actress nominations, not sure about Best Director. All the early reactions have routinely mentioned John Williams, and we're hearing the score peaks at the end and endings matter. 

 

I think the press and Spielberg have also done a good job mentioning over and over again that this is the 30th collaboration. They're really hitting it in a way that I felt Disney failed at celebrating Rise of Skywalker being his final Star Wars. They've also successfully framed it as Williams coming out of retirement, even if it's half-true. And not to be crass about it, but having video out there of him looking frail in a wheelchair and still kicking ass conducting might make voters finally feel like he's been taken for granted. 

 

I do think, though, that fundamentally they either think he's won even more than he has, or they've been waiting for a score and film that lives up to Jaws, Star Wars, ET, and Schindler's List. And even with all these lovely reviews, we already know Disclosure Day won't be that. But it could be a fair legacy win if they're in the mood for it.

 

If (when) he gets nominated, he'll break his own record as the oldest nominee of all-time, and so attention could be drawn to the sentiment that he'd be a very deserving oldest winner. It seems more justifiable here than The Fabelmans or Dial of Destiny.  Universal has The Odyssey too, though, so it might depend on if they think Goransson still has a better chance of winning, the passion for him might still prove too much to resist. But the fact that he's very deliberately not going orchestral might help Williams's case for winning this time, if the Disclosure Day campaign wants to appeal to honoring Hollywood's traditions and institutions, orchestral scoring and Los Angeles musicians, Oscar 99, Spielberg/Williams 30 with a big original sci-fi, and he'd be winning at 95. There'd be a lot wrapped up in it but it has to be viewed as something special, not another John Williams nomination. 

[Stark 1,041]

A nomination is guaranteed. 

On 03/06/2026 at 5:03 PM, Ricard said:

Here are some other possible contenders, for reference:

 

Behemoth! (James Newton Howard and Alan Silvestri)

Digger (Bryce Dessner)

Dune: Part Three (Hans Zimmer)

Fatherland (Marcin Maseki)

Jake of Spades (Carter Burwell)

Narnia: The Magician's Nephew (Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt)

Project Hail Mary (Daniel Pemberton)

Ray Gunn (Michael Giacchino)

The Adventures of Cliff Booth (Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross)

The Odyssey (Ludwig Goransson)

The Social Reckoning (Alexandre Desplat)

Wild Horse Nine (Carter Burwell)

If Behemoth has seven composers then I think it won't be eligible, and Dune 3 will probably have too little non-derived material as well... there's a chance this could be Pemberton's year.

 

But my real prediction is that Disclosure Day receives a nomination and does not win... unless posthumously. 

[Tydirium 1,644]

On 3/6/2026 at 5:03 PM, Ricard said:

Here are some other possible contenders, for reference:

 

Behemoth! (James Newton Howard and Alan Silvestri)

Digger (Bryce Dessner)

Dune: Part Three (Hans Zimmer)

Fatherland (Marcin Maseki)

Jake of Spades (Carter Burwell)

Narnia: The Magician's Nephew (Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt)

Project Hail Mary (Daniel Pemberton)

Ray Gunn (Michael Giacchino)

The Adventures of Cliff Booth (Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross)

The Odyssey (Ludwig Goransson)

The Social Reckoning (Alexandre Desplat)

Wild Horse Nine (Carter Burwell)

 

Doesn't Narnia come out next year?

[Jay 46,840]

Yes. February 2027.

[artguy360 2,282]

No joke, I dreamt last night that JW won the Oscar for this score and I was in complete shock!

[Bespin Copilot 10,901]

If John Williams’s possibly final film score for his 30th collaboration with Spielberg doesn’t deserve an Oscar, I honestly don’t know who does. Damn.

[Luke Skywalker 2,412]

In a world where goransonn has already 3 oscars...

 

i really cant fathom how so many f*cking legends had only one or none, yet holywood sometimes gives two or more in a row to the latest arsty fartsy wonder. (santaolaya, goranson..reznor-ross...)

[Bespin Copilot 10,901]

Just now, Luke Skywalker said:

In a world where goransonn has already 3 oscars...

Not this year, sweetheart!

[Luke Skywalker 2,412]

its unbeilevable williams last oscar was 33 years ago.

 

They still vote as if schindler's list came out last year.

 

MADNESS. 

[Bespin Copilot 10,901]

I’m writing in HUGE letters because I’m VERY mad… but like… politely mad hehe.

[cuartosur 12]

Do you really believe in the honesty of the Oscars? I'd love for him to win his sixth Oscar, but John is far bigger and more important to the history of film and contemporary music than a discredited award that still controls the film industry. That's just my opinion.

[Bespin Copilot 10,901]

Honesty and the Oscars have nothing to do with each other. It’s a business, and their decisions are political.

 

That said, I’ve always respected their nominations.

 

This year, I’m asking them to pull their damn heads out of their asses.

[Marian Schedenig 11,892]

2 hours ago, artguy360 said:

No joke, I dreamt last night that JW won the Oscar for this score and I was in complete shock!

 

The other day I woke up to find that my LEGO John Williams Brickhead had dropped from the shelf on the floor and broken into pieces (not too many - the bulk of it was intact, though I had to search the floor for the five Oscar nanofigs). I'm not superstitious in the slightest, and it still gave me a mildly unsettling feeling in my still half asleep state.

[Parker Luciani 10,343]

4 hours ago, Marian Schedenig said:

 

The other day I woke up to find that my LEGO John Williams Brickhead had dropped from the shelf on the floor and broken into pieces (not too many - the bulk of it was intact, though I had to search the floor for the five Oscar nanofigs). I'm not superstitious in the slightest, and it still gave me a mildly unsettling feeling in my still half asleep state.

Dagon vibes.

[Tallguy 7,596]

Has Williams ever won for a score that was attached to a film that was NOT one of the most talked about/critically acclaimed films of the year? (I'm going out on a limb with Fiddler.)

 

Does anyone think Disclosure will be that?

[ricsim88 334]

I’m mostly mad the Oscars hasn’t recognized him as a lifetime achievement award.

But as an aside, why the hell doesn’t he have a star on the walk of fame? Other than because he doesn’t want one.

[mrbellamy 8,271]

They don't really give lifetime achievement Oscars that much anymore to people who have already won an Oscar, and when they do, it can be kinda hard to parse why them and not others. About 25 years ago they gave Robert Redford and Sidney Poitier the honorary Oscars when both had already won before (though not Redford for acting), and since then I think they've only done it for Hayao Miyazaki, Anne V. Coates, and Mel Brooks. Weird group.