World Soundtrack Awards 2024: Greenwood, Desplat

The World Soundtrack Awards have unveiled their latest batch of nominees, and the list reads like a who’s who of contemporary film composition. Jonny Greenwood, Alexandre Desplat, and Hildur Guðnadóttir are among the prominent names vying for top honors at the upcoming ceremony, signaling another competitive year for the industry’s most celebrated musical minds.

Greenwood, known for his tense, experimental scores, continues to blur the line between art-house sensibility and mainstream appeal. Desplat, a perennial awards-season favorite, brings his signature elegance and orchestral nuance to the fold, while Guðnadóttir, whose haunting minimalism has redefined modern scoring, rounds out a trio that represents vastly different approaches to the craft. Their inclusion underscores the Academy’s breadth of taste, from dissonant electronic textures to lush, classical romanticism.

A Ceremony Built on Global Recognition

The World Soundtrack Awards, held annually in Ghent, Belgium, have long served as a bellwether for the broader awards circuit, including the Oscars and the BAFTAs. Unlike those institutions, however, the WSA prizes are determined by a combination of industry professionals and public voting, giving the proceedings a slightly more democratic edge. This year’s shortlist reflects a mix of blockbuster spectacle and intimate indie drama, with several contenders having already dominated festival conversations over the past twelve months.

For Greenwood, the nod adds another layer to a remarkable year. The Radiohead guitarist has steadily built a parallel career as one of cinema’s most in-demand composers, with recent collaborations that have pushed his harmonic language into uncharted territory. His work often relies on unsettling strings and percussive pulses, a stark contrast to Desplat’s more traditional - yet no less inventive - approach. Desplat, who has won multiple Academy Awards, remains a fixture in the conversation, and his nomination here reaffirms his sustained dominance across both European and Hollywood productions.

Guðnadóttir, meanwhile, has carved out a niche that prioritizes atmosphere over melody. Her scores frequently evolve from extended, drone-like passages into cathartic emotional releases, a technique that has earned her critical acclaim and a devoted following among directors seeking a more visceral sonic palette. Her presence on the shortlist is a testament to how far the craft has moved from simple background accompaniment into a primary storytelling device.

The Full Field and Its Rising Stars

Beyond the three headline names, the shortlist includes several emerging talents who could pose a genuine upset. The nominations also feature a number of international composers whose work has gained traction outside the traditional Anglo-American axis, reflecting the WSA’s stated mission to celebrate global cinematic achievement. This year’s crop is notably diverse in genre, spanning epic science fiction, psychological thrillers, and quiet character studies.

One of the more intriguing storylines is the potential for a first-time winner. While Desplat and Greenwood are established veterans, the current awards cycle has seen a shift toward younger voices, and several of the less-heralded nominees have delivered scores that critics have called career-defining. The voting body’s tendency to reward bold, singular works over safe choices could play in their favor, especially given that the WSA has historically been more willing to take risks than its Hollywood counterparts.

The awards ceremony itself is expected to draw a sizable gathering of composers, directors, and industry executives, with Ghent serving as a meeting point for Europe’s film music community. In addition to the competitive categories, the event will honor a lifetime achievement recipient and present a public concert featuring selections from the nominated scores, as is tradition. The live performances often provide a rare opportunity for audiences to hear these compositions outside the cinema, stripping them of visual context and allowing the music to stand fully on its own.

Broader Implications for the Awards Season

For those tracking the race toward the major American awards, the WSA shortlist offers an early glimpse into potential frontrunners. While the voting bodies differ, the correlation between WSA recognition and later Oscar nominations has been historically strong. A win here does not guarantee a statue in Los Angeles, but it does signal which scores have captured the industry’s imagination at a crucial juncture.

The announcement also arrives at a time when the role of the film composer is being actively debated. With the rise of artificial intelligence and the increasing use of temp tracks, there is ongoing concern about the devaluation of original composition. The WSA’s continued emphasis on artistic merit over commercial viability serves as a counterweight to that trend, reaffirming the idea that a great score is not merely functional but essential to a film’s identity.

As the ceremony approaches, the nominees will likely crisscross the globe for festival appearances and press commitments, each making a quiet case for why their music deserves to be heard. For now, the spotlight rests on Greenwood, Desplat, and Guðnadóttir - three composers whose work, while vastly different in style, shares a common commitment to pushing the boundaries of what film music can achieve. Whether the final vote goes to the seasoned veteran, the rock-star innovator, or the avant-garde minimalist, the conversation around these scores has already proven that 2026 will be remembered as a rich year for the art form.

Source: Variety