The Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media is an honor presented to a composer (or composers) for an original score created for a film, TV show or series, or other visual media at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. Honors in several categories are presented at the ceremony annually by The Recording Academy of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without regard to album sales or chart position".
History It has been awarded since the 2nd Annual Grammy Awards in 1959. The first recipient was American composer and pianist Duke Ellington, for the soundtrack to the 1959 film Anatomy of a Murder. Originally known as the Grammy Award for Best Sound Track Album – Background Score from a Motion Picture or Television, the award is currently (2025) known as the Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media (Includes Film and Television). Until 2001, the award was presented to the composer of the music alone. From 2001 to 2007, the music producer(s) and sound engineer/mixer(s) shared the award. In 2007, the award reverted to a composer-only award. John Williams holds the record for most wins and nominations for the award, with eleven wins out of thirty-four nominations. Austin Wintory's nomination for Journey at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards was the only time that a video game was nominated in this category before the new category of Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media was created in 2022. New Grammy awards include one for video game scores - The Washington Post
Recipients
Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were presented, for works released in the previous year.
1950s Year Work Artist 1959 Anatomy of a Murder M Squad Stanley Wilson The Nun's Story Franz Waxman Pete Kelly's Blues Dick Cathcart Peter Gunn Henry Mancini
1960s Year Work Artist 1961 Exodus The Apartment Adolph Deutsch Ben-Hur Miklós Rózsa Mr. Lucky Henry Mancini The Untouchables Nelson Riddle 1962 Breakfast at Tiffany's Checkmate John Williams The Guns of Navarone Dimitri Tiomkin La Dolce Vita Nino Rota Paris Blues Duke Ellington 1963 No Award 1964 Tom Jones Cleopatra Alex North Lawrence of Arabia Maurice Jarre Mondo Cane Riz Ortolani 1965 Mary Poppins and Robert B. Sherman Goldfinger John Barry A Hard Day's Night John Lennon and Paul McCartney The Pink Panther Henry Mancini Robin and the 7 Hoods Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen 1966 Help! John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ken Thorne The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Lalo Schifrin, Morton Stevens, Walter Scharf and Jerry Goldsmith The Umbrellas of Cherbourg Michel Legrand and Jacques Demy Zorba the Greek Mikis Theodorakis 1967 Doctor Zhivago Alfie Sonny Rollins Arabesque Henry Mancini Born Free John Barry Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Alex North 1968 Mission: Impossible Casino Royale Burt Bacharach Doctor Dolittle Leslie Bricusse In the Heat of the Night Quincy Jones To Sir, with Love Ron Grainer, Don Black and Mark London 1969 and Paul Simon Bonnie and Clyde Charles Strouse The Fox Lalo Schifrin The Odd Couple Neal Hefti Valley of the Dolls André Previn
1970s Year Work Artist 1970 Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid The Lost Man Quincy Jones Mackenna's Gold Me, Natalie Henry Mancini Yellow Submarine John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and George Martin 1971 Let It Be Airport Alfred Newman Darling Lili Johnny Mercer and Henry Mancini M*A*S*H Johnny Mandel The Sterile Cuckoo Fred Karlin 1972 Shaft Bless the Beasts and Children Barry De Vorzon and Perry Botkin Jr. Friends Elton John and Bernie Taupin Love Story Francis Lai Ryan's Daughter Maurice Jarre 1973 $ Quincy Jones Il Giardino dei Finzi-Contini Manuel De Sica Nicholas and Alexandra Richard Rodney Bennett Super Fly Curtis Mayfield 1974 Jonathan Livingston Seagull Last Tango in Paris Gato Barbieri Live and Let Die Paul McCartney, Linda McCartney and George Martin Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid Bob Dylan Sounder Taj Mahal 1975 and Marvin Hamlisch Death Wish Herbie Hancock QB VII Jerry Goldsmith Serpico Mikis Theodorakis The Three Musketeers Michel Legrand 1976 Jaws Murder on the Orient Express Richard Rodney Bennett Nashville Keith Carradine, Ronee Blakley, Richard Baskin, Ben Raleigh, Richard Reicheg, Henry Gibson and Karen Black The Return of the Pink Panther Henry Mancini The Wind and the Lion Jerry Goldsmith 1977 Car Wash The Omen Jerry Goldsmith One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Jack Nitzsche Rich Man, Poor Man Alex North Taxi Driver Bernard Herrmann 1978 Star Wars Rocky Bill Conti The Spy Who Loved Me Marvin Hamlisch A Star Is Born Kenny Ascher, Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman, Rupert Holmes, Leon Russell, Barbra Streisand, Donna Weiss, Paul Williams and Kenny Loggins You Light Up My Life Joe Brooks 1979 Close Encounters of the Third Kind John Williams Battlestar Galactica Stu Phillips, John Andrew Tartaglia, Sue Collins and Glen A. Larson Holocaust Morton Gould Midnight Express Giorgio Moroder, Chris Bennett, David Castle, Billy Hayes and Oliver Stone Revenge of the Pink Panther Henry Mancini and Leslie Bricusse
1980s Year Work Artist 1980 Superman John Williams Alien Jerry Goldsmith Apocalypse Now Carmine Coppola and Francis Ford Coppola Ice Castles Alan Parsons, Eric Woolfson, Marvin Hamlisch and Carole Bayer Sager (lyricist) The Muppet Movie Paul Williams and Kenny Ascher 1981 John Williams Fame Michael Gore, Anthony Evans, Paul McCrane, Dean Pitchford, Lesley Gore and Robert F. Colesberry Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants Stevie Wonder, Michael Sembello, Stephanie Andrews and Yvonne Wright One-Trick Pony Paul Simon Urban Cowboy JD Souther, Boz Scaggs, David Foster, Jerry Foster, Bill Rice, Brian Collins, Robby Campbell, Joe Walsh, Bob Morrison, Johnny Wilson, Dan Fogelberg, Bob Seger, Wayland Holyfield, Bob House, Wanda Mallette and Patti Ryan 1982 Raiders of the Lost Ark John Williams 9 to 5 Charles Fox and Dolly Parton The Elephant Man John Morris Endless Love Jonathan Tunick, Lionel Richie and Thomas McClary The Jazz Singer Neil Diamond, Gilbert Bécaud, Alan E. Lindgren, Richard Bennett and Doug Rhone 1983 E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial John Williams The French Lieutenant's Woman Carl Davis On Golden Pond Dave Grusin Ragtime Randy Newman Victor/Victoria Henry Mancini and Leslie Bricusse 1984 Flashdance Gandhi Ravi Shankar and George Fenton Return of the Jedi John Williams Staying Alive Frank Stallone, Bruce Stephen Foster, Roy Freeland, Vince DiCola, Thomas Marolda, Joe Esposito, Randy Bishop, Tommy Faragher, Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb and Robin Gibb Tootsie Dave Grusin 1985 Purple Rain Against All Odds Phil Collins, Stevie Nicks, Peter Gabriel, Stuart Adamson, Mike Rutherford, Kid Creole, Michel Colombier and Larry Carlton Footloose Bill Wolfer, Dean Pitchford, Kenny Loggins, Tom Snow, Sammy Hagar, Michael Gore, Eric Carmen and Jim Steinman Ghostbusters Ray Parker Jr., Kevin O'Neal, Bobby Alessi, David Immer, Tom Bailey, Graham Russell, David Foster, Jay Graydon, Diane Warren, Mick Smiley and Elmer Bernstein Yentl Michel Legrand, Alan Bergman and Marilyn Bergman 1986 Beverly Hills Cop Back to the Future Johnny Colla, Chris Hayes, Huey Lewis, Lindsey Buckingham, Alan Silvestri, Eric Clapton and Sean Hopper A Passage to India Maurice Jarre St. Elmo's Fire David Foster, John Parr, Billy Squier, John Elefante, Dino Elefante, Jon Anderson, Fee Waybill, Steve Lukather, Richard Marx, Jay Graydon, Steve Kipner, Peter Beckett and Cynthia Weil Witness Maurice Jarre 1987 Out of Africa (film music was nominated in the Best Instrumental Composition category) Aliens James Horner Earth Run Lee Ritenour and Dave Grusin Elektric City Chick Corea J Mood Wynton Marsalis "Top Gun Anthem" (from Top Gun) Harold Faltermeyer Young Sherlock Holmes Bruce Broughton 1988 An American Tail James Horner The Glass Menagerie Henry Mancini The Princess Bride Mark Knopfler The Witches of Eastwick John Williams 1989 Empire of the Sun John Williams Fatal Attraction Maurice Jarre Tucker: The Man and His Dream Joe Jackson Who Framed Roger Rabbit Alan Silvestri
1990s Year Work Artist 1990 Batman Danny Elfman Field of Dreams James Horner Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade John Williams The Last Temptation of Christ Peter Gabriel 1991 Glory Dick Tracy Danny Elfman Driving Miss Daisy Hans Zimmer The Little Mermaid Alan Menken Twin Peaks Angelo Badalamenti 1992 Dances with Wolves Avalon Randy Newman Awakenings Randy Newman Edward Scissorhands Danny Elfman Havana Dave Grusin Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves Michael Kamen 1993 Beauty and the Beast Hook John Williams The Mambo Kings Arturo Sandoval Northern Exposure David Schwartz Rush Eric Clapton 1994 Aladdin Alan Menken The Age of Innocence Elmer Bernstein The Firm Dave Grusin Jurassic Park John Williams A River Runs Through It Mark Isham 1995 Schindler's List The Lion King Hans Zimmer Little Buddha Ryuichi Sakamoto The Shawshank Redemption Thomas Newman Wolf Ennio Morricone 1996 Crimson Tide Batman Forever Elliot Goldenthal The Cure Dave Grusin Ed Wood Howard Shore Joe Cool's Blues Wynton Marsalis 1997 Independence Day Get Shorty John Lurie The Star Maker Ennio Morricone A Time to Kill Elliot Goldenthal Unstrung Heroes Thomas Newman 1998 The English Patient The Lost World: Jurassic Park John Williams Men in Black Danny Elfman Selena Dave Grusin Seven Years in Tibet John Williams 1999 Saving Private Ryan Amistad John Williams Bulworth Ennio Morricone City of Angels Gabriel Yared Rush Hour Lalo Schifrin
2000s Year Work Artist 2000 Life Is Beautiful Nicola Piovani The Red Violin John Corigliano Shakespeare in Love Stephen Warbeck Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace John Williams 2001 American Beauty (artist/composer/producer) and Bill Bernstein (producer) The Cider House Rules Rachel Portman Gladiator Lisa Gerrard and Hans Zimmer Magnolia Jon Brion Toy Story 2 Randy Newman 2002 Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (artist/composer/producer), Steven Epstein (producer) and Richard King (engineer/mixer) A.I. Artificial Intelligence John Williams Chocolat Rachel Portman Men of Honor Mark Isham Planet of the Apes Danny Elfman Traffic Cliff Martinez 2003 (artist/composer/producer) and John Kurlander (engineer/mixer) A Beautiful Mind James Horner Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone John Williams Monsters, Inc. Randy Newman Spider-Man Danny Elfman 2004 (artist/composer/producer), John Kurlander (engineer) and Peter Cobbin (engineer/mixer) Catch Me If You Can John Williams Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets The Hours Philip Glass Seabiscuit Randy Newman 2005 (artist/composer/producer) and John Kurlander (engineer/mixer) Angels in America Thomas Newman Big Fish Danny Elfman Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Jon Brion Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban John Williams 2006 Ray (composer/producer), David Donaldson (producer), Taylor Hackford (producer) and Geoff Foster (engineer/mixer) The Aviator Howard Shore The Incredibles Michael Giacchino Million Dollar Baby Clint Eastwood Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith John Williams 2007 Memoirs of a Geisha (artist/composer) and Shawn Murphy (engineer/mixer) The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Harry Gregson-Williams The Da Vinci Code Hans Zimmer Munich John Williams Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest Hans Zimmer 2008 Ratatouille Babel Gustavo Santaolalla Blood Diamond James Newton Howard The Departed Howard Shore Happy Feet John Powell Pan's Labyrinth Javier Navarrete 2009 and James Newton Howard Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull John Williams Iron Man Ramin Djawadi There Will Be Blood Jonny Greenwood WALL-E Thomas Newman
2010s