There has been a lot of different categories for score, so to avoid confusion we have added all score categories under the category of ”Score”, where as only the Best Original Song category counts under Best Song.
Please be aware that Oscar year refers to the year the Oscars were held and not the year the film was released.
Most nominated composer/songwriter
Most total music nominations (Score and song combined)
John Williams – 54 nominations (49 score nomination + 5 song nominations) – 5 Oscars (all for score)
Alfred Newman – 45 nominations (43 score nominations + 2 song nominations) – 9 Oscars (all for score)
Sammy Cahn – 26 nominations (all for song) – 4 Oscars (all for song)
Most score nominations
John Williams – 49 nominations (5 Oscars)
Alfred Newman – 43 nominations (9 Oscars)
Max Steiner – 24 nominations (3 Oscars)
Most song nominations
Sammy Cahn – 26 nominations (4 Oscars)
Johnny Mercer – 19 nominations (4 Oscars)
Paul Francis Webster – 16 nominations (3 Oscars)
Most winning composer/songwriter
Most total music wins (Score and song combined)
Alfred Newman – 9 Oscars (all for score) – 45 nominations (43 score nominations + 2 song nominations)
Alan Menken – 8 Oscars (4 for score + 4 for song) – 19 nominations (5 for score + 14 for song)
John Williams – 5 Oscars (all for score) – 54 nominations (49 score nomination + 5 song nominations)
Most wins for score
Alfred Newman – 9 Oscars (43 nominations)
John Williams – 5 Oscars (49 nominations)
Johnny Green – 4 Oscars (12 nominations)
André Previn – 4 Oscars (11 nominations)
John Barry – 4 Oscars (6 nominations)
Alan Menken – 4 Oscars (5 nominations)
Most wins for song
Sammy Cahn – 4 Oscars (26 nominations)
Johnny Mercer – 4 Oscars (19 nominations)
Jimmy Van Heusen – 4 Oscars (14 nominations)
Alan Menken – 4 Oscars (14 nominations)
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Largest number of people nominated for one score/song
Score
The Color Purple (1986) – 12 composers were nominated for this score
Song
”Accidentally in Love” from Shrek 2 (2005) – 7 composers/songwriters were nominated for this song
Most consecutive wins
Roger Edens – 3 years in a row
1949 – Easter Parade (Score)
1950 – On the Town (Score)
1951 – Annie Get Your Gun (Score)
The following people have won an award for Score 2 years in a row: Alfred Newman (1953-1954 + 1956-1957), André Previn (1959-1960 + 1964-1965), Franz Waxman (1951-1952), Ray Heindorf (1943-1944), Adolph Deutsch (1955-1956), Leonard Rosenman (1976-1977), Alan Menken (1992-1993) and Gustavo Sntaolalla (2006-2007).
Johnny Mercer (1962-1963), Henry Mancini (1962-1963) and Alan Menken (1992-1993) are the only composers/songwriters who have won consecutive awards for Best Original Song. They all won 2 years in a row.
Only composer/songwriter to win 2 awards 2 years in a row
Alan Menken
1992 – Beauty and the Beast (Score) AND ”Beauty and the Beast” from Beauty and the Beast (Song)
1993 – Aladdin (Score) AND ”A Whole New World” from Aladdin (Song)
Films with most nominations for Best Original Song
Beauty and the Beast (1992)
”Beauty and the Beast” (winner)
”Be Our Guest”
”Belle”
The Lion King (1995)
”Can You Feel the Love Tonight” (winner)
”Hakuna Matata”
”Circle of Life”
Dreamgirls (2007)
”Patience”
”Love You I Do”
”Listen”
Enchanted (2008)
”That’s How You Know”
”So Close”
”Happy Working Song”
The following films have had 2 songs nominated for Best Original Song:
Fame (1981)
Flashdance (1984)
Yentl (1984)
Footloose (1985)
The Little Mermaid (1990)
Aladdin (1993)
The Bodyguard (1993)
Philadelphia (1994)
Cold Mountain (2004)
Slumdog Millionaire (2009)
The Princess and the Frog (2010)
La La Land (2017)
Barbie (2024)
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