Earlier today, Alexandre Desplat was a rather surprising winner for Best Film Music at this year's BAFTA Awards in London for his work in Wes Anderson's “The Grand Budapest Hotel.” Well, it's a great day for the prolific composer as he has just won a Grammy for the score as well, in the Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media Category.
Given the film's early-year release date, though, Desplat was mostly contending with 2013 films. Christophe Beck was nominated for “Frozen,” while two of last year's Oscar nominees, “Gravity” (Steven Price, who won the Academy Award) and “Saving Mr. Banks” (Thomas Newman) were in there as well. The only 2014 film in competition was “Gone Girl,” and alas, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross deferred to Mr. Desplat on this one.
Does that signal some clarity in the Oscar race? Not necessarily. But the film is obviously helped by being, in all likelihood, the most beloved nominee of the category. Others chalked up for a Best Original Score Oscar nomination this year are Desplat again for “The Imitation Game,” Hans Zimmer for “Interstellar,” Gary Yershon for “Mr. Turner” and Jóhann Jóhannsson for “The Theory of Everything.”
And by the way, another of last year's Oscar-nominated composers landed a Grammy today: John Williams. You remember “The Book Thief,” right? Well it won in the Best Instrumental Composition category against the likes of “Last Train to Sanity” (Stanley Clarke), “Life in the Bubble” (Gordon Goodwin), “Recognition” (Rufus Reid) and “Tarnation” (Edgar Meyer & Chris Thile).
More from the Grammys as they are announced here.