'It Feels Ignorant': Hans Zimmer Reacts As Golden Globes Cuts Best Original Score From Telecast

When award shows talk about trimming time, the cuts usually go unnoticed. This time, they didn’t. The decision to push Best Original Score off the main telecast at the Golden Globe Awards has struck a nerve, and Hans Zimmer has said exactly what many in the industry are thinking. Speaking on the red carpet, the two-time Oscar-winning composer made it clear that sidelining composers sends the wrong message, especially in a year that celebrated some of the strongest film scores in recent memory. Talking about the omission, he said, “I think it’s a shame not to honour those people — my friends — who work so hard to become a voice,” before adding a personal touch to describe the grind behind film music. “As a person who has been making films forever,

everybody who works on a film works their utmost, doesn’t get any sleep, there are no weekends. Sometimes my children wonder who I am — I come into the house and they call the police,” he added, jokingly. For Zimmer, the issue goes beyond one award category being moved off-screen. He pointed out the strange timing of the decision, especially given how strong 2025 has been for film music. “I think the work should always be acknowledged. This year is a fantastic year for composers — don’t ignore them, you don’t have a movie without them,” Zimmer told Variety. The composer, who also worked on Ramayana, did not mince words when asked about the last-minute call to exclude the category from the broadcast. Zimmer said he “wouldn’t talk to the person who came up with the last-minute decision to exclude the Best Original Score category from the Golden Globes telecast.” He added, “It feels a little bit ignorant.” He later summed up the role of music in filmmaking while speaking to Deadline, saying, “The composer has such an important role in making films. By the time we come to the music, the director has been through war. Our first job is to remind him why he did this film in the first place,” he said. Why the category was sidelined Best Original Score has traditionally been part of the Golden Globes telecast. However, organisers have been tightening the show in recent years to keep ratings steady. Last year’s ceremony drew 9.3 million viewers, a slight dip from 2024’s 9.4 million, but a sharp jump from 2023’s 6.25 million. Interestingly, while technical categories are being pushed aside, the Globes have added new ones. Cinematic and Box Office Achievement and Best Stand-up Comedian were introduced last year, while Best Podcast joined the list this year. All three featured on the main telecast, while Best Original Score was handed out during a commercial break. Who won Best Original Score Viewers watching live may have missed the announcement altogether. Ludwig Göransson won Best Original Score for his work in Sinners, directed by Ryan Coogler. He beat nominees Alexandre Desplat (Frankenstein), Max Richter (Hamnet), Jonny Greenwood (One Battle After Another), Kangding Ray (Sirāt), and Zimmer himself for F1.