The International Film Music Critics Association Award for Film Score of the Year, now simply Score of the Year, is an annual award given by the International Film Music Critics Association, or the IFMCA. The award was given to the composer of a film score deemed to be the best in a given year. The award was first given in 1998 till 2000, before going a four-year hiatus. It has been awarded every year since 2004. In 2022, the category was renamed "Score of the Year", awarding its first ever television score with the honor.
Winners and nominations
1990s Year Film Composer(s) 1998 Mulan Jerry Goldsmith The Avengers Joel McNeely Dangerous Beauty George Fenton The Mask of Zorro James Horner Saving Private Ryan John Williams 1999 The Mummy Jerry Goldsmith Angela's Ashes John Williams The Iron Giant Michael Kamen The Legend of 1900 Ennio Morricone The Matrix Don Davis The Ninth Gate Wojciech Kilar The Red Violin John Corigliano Sleepy Hollow Danny Elfman Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace John Williams The 13th Warrior Jerry Goldsmith
2000s Year Film Composer(s) 2000 Gladiator Hans Zimmer Chicken Run Harry Gregson-Williams and John Powell Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Tan Dun Dinosaur James Newton Howard Hollow Man Jerry Goldsmith MalenaEnnio Morricone Mission to Mars The Patriot John Williams The Perfect Storm James Horner Unbreakable James Newton Howard 2004 The Incredibles Michael Giacchino The Aviator Howard Shore Hellboy Marco Beltrami Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow Edward Shearmur The Village James Newton Howard 2005 Memoirs of a Geisha John Williams Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Patrick Doyle King Kong James Newton Howard The New World James Horner Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith John Williams 2006 Lady in the Water James Newton Howard The Black Dahlia Mark Isham The Da Vinci Code Hans Zimmer The Fountain Clint Mansell Perfume: The Story of a Murderer Tom Tykwer, Reinhold Heil and Johnny Klimek X-Men: The Last Stand John Powell 2007 Atonement Dario Marianelli The Golden Compass Alexandre Desplat Lust, Caution Ratatouille Michael Giacchino Zodiac David Shire 2008 The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Alexandre Desplat The Dark Knight James Newton Howard and Hans Zimmer Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull John Williams Standard Operating Procedure Danny Elfman WALL-E Thomas Newman 2009 Up Michael Giacchino Avatar James Horner Drag Me to Hell Christopher Young Star Trek Michael Giacchino The Twilight Saga: New Moon Alexandre Desplat
2010s Year Film Composer(s) 2010 How To Train Your Dragon John Powell The Ghost Writer Alexandre Desplat Inception Hans Zimmer The King's Speech Alexandre Desplat Tron: Legacy Daft Punk 2011 War Horse John Williams The Adventures of Tintin John Williams The Artist Ludovic Bource The Greatest Miracle Mark McKenzie Hugo Howard Shore 2012 Life of Pi Mychael Danna Cloud Atlas Tom Tykwer, Reinhold Heil and Johnny Klimek The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Howard Shore The Impossible Fernando Velázquez Lincoln John Williams 2013 Romeo & Juliet Abel Korzeniowski Evil Dead Roque Baños Grand Piano Victor Reyes Gravity Steven Price The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Howard Shore 2014 Interstellar Hans Zimmer The Grand Budapest Hotel Alexandre Desplat How to Train Your Dragon 2 John Powell Maleficent James Newton Howard The Monkey King Christopher Young 2015 Star Wars: The Force Awakens John Williams Cinderella Patrick Doyle The Hateful Eight Ennio Morricone Jupiter Ascending Michael Giacchino Wolf Totem James Horner 2016 Arrival Jóhann Jóhannsson Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them James Newton Howard La La Land Justin Hurwitz Nocturnal Animals Abel Korzeniowski The Red Turtle Laurent Perez del Mar 2017 Phantom Thread Jonny Greenwood The Post John Williams The Shape of Water Alexandre Desplat Star Wars: The Last Jedi John Williams War for the Planet of the Apes Michael Giacchino 2018 Solo: A Star Wars Story John Powell Black Panther Ludwig Göransson First Man Justin Hurwitz Mary Poppins Returns Marc Shaiman Max & Me Mark McKenzie 2019 Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker John Williams How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World John Powell Joker Hildur Guðnadóttir Little Women Alexandre Desplat 1917 Thomas Newman
2020s Year Film Composer(s) 2020 The Personal History of David Copperfield Christopher Willis The Call of the Wild John Powell Enola Holmes Daniel Pemberton Fukushima 50 Tarō Iwashiro Wonder Woman 1984 Hans Zimmer 2021 Coppelia Maurizio Malagnini Dune Hans Zimmer The Green Knight Daniel Hart Jungle Cruise James Newton Howard The Last Duel Harry Gregson-Williams 2022 The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Bear McCreary, theme by Howard Shore Avatar: The Way of Water Simon Franglen The Batman Michael Giacchino The Fabelmans John Williams Nope Michael Abels 2023 Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny John Williams The Boy and the Heron Joe Hisaishi Godzilla Minus One Naoki Satō Oppenheimer Ludwig Göransson The Piper Christopher Young 2024 The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Bear McCreary Avatar: The Last Airbender Takeshi Furukawa Here Alan Silvestri Kensuke's Kingdom Stuart Hancock The Wild Robot Kris Bowers 2025 Avatar: Fire and Ash Simon Franglen The Fantastic Four: First Steps Michael Giacchino Frankenstein Alexandre Desplat Jurassic World: Rebirth Alexandre Desplat Sinners Ludwig Göransson
References