The International Film Music Critics Association has announced its list of nominees for the 22nd edition of the IFMCA Awards. These awards are significant to me because I am involved in the selection process and have spent considerable time finding candidates for them. The list of nominees is below, including the new category for Best New Recording of an Existing Film Score. For more information on the awards and nominees, you can read about them in the official press release.
Score of the Year
- Avatar: Fire And Ash – Simon Franglen
- The Fantastic Four: First Steps – Michael Giacchino
- Frankenstein – Alexandre Desplat
- Jurassic World: Rebirth – Alexandre Desplat
- Sinners – Ludwig Göransson
Composer of the Year
- Alexandre Desplat
- Simon Franglen
- Michael Giacchino
- Ludwig Göransson
- John Powell
Breakthrough Composer of the Year
- Mathieu Alvado
- Jeremiah Fraites
- Cameron Moody
- Lorien Testard
- Young Fathers
Composition of the Year
- “Jay Kelly Suite” from Jay Kelly – Nicholas Britell
- “Of The Undiscovered Country” from Hamnet – Max Richter
- “The Fantastic Four: First Steps Main Theme” from The Fantastic Four: First Steps – Michael Giacchino
- “The Tower” from Frankenstein – Alexandre Desplat
- “The Windtraders” from Avatar: Fire And Ash – Simon Franglen
Best Original Score for a Drama Film
- Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale – John Lunn
- Hamnet – Max Richter
- Jay Kelly – Nicholas Britell
- Marty Supreme – Daniel Lopatin
- Nuremberg – Brian Tyler
Best Original Score for a Comedy Film
- Anaconda – David Fleming
- Ella Mccay – Hans Zimmer
- Eternity – David Fleming
- The Naked Gun – Lorne Balfe
- The Thursday Murder Club – Thomas Newman
Best Original Score for an Action/Adventure Film
- F1 – Hans Zimmer
- Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning – Max Aruj, Alfie Godfrey
- One Battle After Another – Jonny Greenwood
- Play Dirty – Alan Silvestri
- Supermarsu Ja Suuri Huijaus/Super Furball And The Lying Squirrel – Panu Aaltio
Best Original Score For A Fantasy/Science Fiction Film
- Avatar: Fire And Ash – Simon Franglen
- Bugonia – Jerskin Fendrix
- The Fantastic Four: First Steps – Michael Giacchino
- Jurassic World: Rebirth – Alexandre Desplat
- Wicked: For Good – John Powell, Stephen Schwartz
Best Original Score for a Horror/Thriller Film
- Dracula – Danny Elfman
- Final Destination: Bloodlines – Tim Wynn
- Frankenstein – Alexandre Desplat
- The Oval Portrait – Andrew Morgan Smith
- Sinners – Ludwig Göransson
Best Original Score for an Animated Film
- Arco – Arnaud Toulon
- The Bad Guys 2 – Daniel Pemberton
- Elio – Rob Simonsen
- Three Kingdoms: Starlit Heroes – Neal Acree
- Zootopia 2 – Michael Giacchino
Best Original Score for a Documentary
- Aux Armes, Citoyennes! Les Femmes Dans La Révolution Française – Laetitia Pansanel-Garric
- Descalzos – Oscar Martín Leanizbarrutia
- Kantauri – Joseba Beristain
- Monsen Og Nasjonalparkene – Raymond Enoksen
- Ocean With David Attenborough – Steven Price
Best Original Score for Television
- Astérix Et Obélix: Le Combat Des Chefs – Mathieu Alvado
- Call The Midwife – Maurizio Malagnini
- Il Gattopardo/The Leopard – Paolo Buonvino
- Star Wars: Andor – Brandon Roberts, Nicholas Britell
- Washington Black – Cameron Moody
Best Original Score for a Video Game or Interactive Media
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – Lorien Testard
- Ghost Of Yōtei – Wataru Hokoyama
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance II – Jan Valta, Adam Sporka
- South Of Midnight – Olivier Derivière
- Towerborne – Austin Wintory
Best Original Score for a Short Film
- Achter De Deur/Behind The Door – Roy Bemelmans
- Butterfly On A Wheel – Trevor Morris
- Dragonite And The Special Delivery – Evan Call
- Largo – Stuart Hancock
- Le Secret De Martha – Romain Paillot
Best Archival Release
- The Dark Crystal – Trevor Jones (La-La Land)
- Flatliners – James Newton Howard (Intrada)
- Gladiator – Hans Zimmer, Lisa Gerrard (La-La Land)
- Jaws – John Williams (La-La Land)
- On Her Majesty’s Secret Service – John Barry (La-La Land)
Best New Recording of an Existing Film Score
- Abbott And Costello Meet Frankenstein/Abbott And Costello Meet The Keystone Kops – Frank Skinner, William Lava, Henry Mancini, Herman Stein (Intrada)
- The Chairman – Jerry Goldsmith (Intrada)
- Debbie Wiseman: Music For Film And Television – Debbie Wiseman (Silva Screen/Film Fest Gent)
- Howard Shore: Anthology – The Paris Concerts – Howard Shore (Deutsche Grammophon)
- Pursuit/Crawlspace/The People Next Door – Jerry Goldsmith (Intrada/Klassik Film Music)
The International Film Music Critics Association will announce the winners of the 22nd IFMCA Awards LIVE on the IFMCA YouTube channel on February 26, 2026.
