Ennio Morricone is back in the game, and back on top. Though the 87-year-old composer has hardly been idle in recent decades, Quentin Tarantino's The Hateful Eight marked the first time in over 40 years that Morricone did what he's most famous for: write the score for a western. Now, he's been rewarded with a Golden Globe nomination.
2016 Golden Globe nominations have been announced; joining Morricone in the Best Original Score category are Carter Burwell (Carol) and Daniel Pemberton (Steve Jobs), as well as Ryuichi Sakamoto and Alva Noto for their neo-Romantic Revenant score and 2015 Oscar-winner Alexandre Desplat for The Danish Girl.
The name of another composer turned up in an unexpected place on the nominees list: the Best Original Song category. David Lang was enlisted by filmmaker Paolo Sorrentino to write "Simple Song #3," a piece of music depicted as the composition that made the reputation of a composer played by Michael Caine in Youth. Interestingly, Lang was passed over in the Best Original Score category, although he wrote the score for Youth as well.
Will Lang win? Unlikely. He's up against tough competition, including Wiz Khalifa's monster hit "See You Again" (Furious 7), a Brian Wilson song from the excellent biopic Love and Mercy, and a James Bond song ("Writing's On the Wall," performed by Sam Smith in Spectre).
In the Best Original Score category, Morricone has to be counted as the sentimental favorite, though there will be escalating buzz for the Revenant score, which also includes contributions from Bryce Dessner of the band The National.
Is it too early to make Oscar predictions? Of course not! Let's say Morricone is a likely nod, along with John Williams for the Force Awakens score. You've got to bet that Wilson, Smith, and the Wiz will be onstage at the Oscars — as well as David Lang? Classical music fans can hope.
The 73rd Golden Globes will be presented on Jan. 10, in a ceremony broadcast live on NBC.
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