Oscars 2026 – Best Original Song & Score – Nevermind the Oscars Music

Mark returns to the CinemaHounds Oscars coverage series for the second annual "Nevermind the Oscars Music" crossover special discussing not only this year's crop of Original Song and Original Score nominees but also their musical influences, lookalikes, and others they would have liked to have seen on the ballot. Expect plenty of clips from an eclectic collection of genre with deep-digging analysis of their role in this year's nominated films.Best Original Song (00:10:11) Best Original Score (01:24:36)Note: All film discussion in this episode is spoiler-free.Links discussed:Nevermind the Music: The 2026 Grammys deep diveAuthenticity in the age of AIWhat is hopepunk? (with Elysia)Last year's Nevermind the Oscars Music crossoverMax Richter's "Undiscovered Country" and Hamnet / Arrival (AV Club)The Hamnet Rihanna dance takeBest Original Song nominees:“Golden” – Ejae, Ido, Yu Han Lee, Hee Dong Nam, Mark Sonnenblick, Teddy & 24 (music & lyrics) – KPop Demon Hunters – trailer, info (Netflix)“I Lied to You” – Ludwig Göransson & Raphael Saadiq (music & lyrics) – Sinners – trailer, info (HBO Max)“Dear Me” – Diane Warren (music & lyrics) – Diane Warren: Relentless – trailer, info (Hoopla, Kanopy)“Train Dreams” – Nick Cave & Bryce Dessner (music); Cave (lyrics) – Train Dreams – trailer, info (Netflix)“Sweet Dreams of Joy” – Nicholas Pike (music & lyrics) – Viva Verdi! – trailer, info (Jolt)Also discussed:  “Free” – KPop Demon Hunters (Netflix)“Exile” – Bon Iver/Taylor Swift (album: Folklore, 2020) – produced by Aaron Dessner (etc.)“I Need My Girl” – The National (album: Trouble Will Find Me, 2013) – written by Aaron & Bryce Dessner (etc.)“Our Love” – The Ballad of Wallis Island (Prime) – from the shortlist“Falling Slowly” – Once (2006, to rent)“Silver Dagger”, “Here in the Vineyard”, theme – The History of Sound (Mubi)“Và pensiero” – Giuseppe Verdi (opera: Nabucco, 1842)Best Original Score nominees:Sinners (Ludwig Göransson) – trailer, info (HBO Max)One Battle After Another (Jonny Greenwood) – trailer, info (HBO Max)Bugonia (Jerskin Fendrix) – trailer, info (Peacock)Hamnet (Max Richter) – trailer, info (to rent, later Peacock)Frankenstein (Alexandre Desplat) – trailer, info (Netflix)  Also discussed: Tron: Ares (Disney+) – soundtrack – from the shortlistThe 98th Academy Awards will air Sunday, March 15, 2025 at 7 pm ET (on ABC/Hulu in the US) – where it's aired around the worldCheck how many Oscar nominees you've seen at OscarsDeathRace.com – or with extended stats and access to the animated shorts via DeathRaceTracking.comOscars 2026 coverageNominations + Best Picture previewLive-Action, Animated, & Documentary Shorts Production Design, Costumes, Makeup & HairInternational FeaturesDocumentary FeaturesAnimated FeaturesScore & Original Song (this episode)Cinematography, VFX, Editing, SoundAdapted & Original Screenplay, DirectorLead & Supporting Actor & Actress, CastingCeremony reactions + Best Picture rankingsDeep dives into 2026 Oscar nomineesSinnersOne Battle After Another – pt. 1, pt. 2, pt. 3FrankensteinWeaponsShorts: “Two People Exchanging Saliva,” “Jane Austen’s Period Drama,” “The Singers,” “Retirement Plan,” and “The Girl Who Cried Pearls”For subscribers: Leiden IFF – WhachaWachin (Sentimental Value, If I Had Legs I Would Kick You, Arco)Additional awards coverageBAFTAs shortsBAFTAs featuresIndependent Spirit AwardsRevisit Oscars 2024 & 2025: links in these show notesContact UsQuestions or comments? Visit us at our website where you can use the contact form or use the voicemail feature. Or, send an email to [email protected] to Patreon, Supercast, Discord, and Network Affiliateslinktr.ee/thelorehoundsAny opinions stated are ours personally and do not reflect the opinion of or belong to any employers or other entities.