Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media

The Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media recognizes excellence in score soundtrack albums comprised predominantly of original score. Eligible albums are created specifically for or as a companion to a motion picture, television show, or other visual media.

21st Annual Grammy Awards • 1979

Honoring recordings released between Aug 31, 1977 and Aug 30, 1978

John Williams won the 1979 Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media with "Close Encounters Of The Third Kind"

Winners & Nominees 1979

Winner
Nominees

Previous Winners

Year Winner Work
2026 Ludwig Göransson Sinners All Nominees
2025 Hans Zimmer Dune: Part Two All Nominees
2024 Ludwig Göransson Oppenheimer All Nominees
2023 Germaine Franco Encanto All Nominees
2022 Carlos Rafael Rivera The Queen's Gambit All Nominees
2022 Jon Batiste Soul All Nominees
2021 Hildur Guðnadóttir Joker All Nominees
2020 Hildur Guðnadóttir Chernobyl All Nominees
2019 Ludwig Göransson Black Panther All Nominees
2018 Justin Hurwitz La La Land All Nominees
2017 John Williams Star Wars: The Force Awakens All Nominees
2016 Antonio Sanchez Birdman All Nominees
2015 Alexandre Desplat The Grand Budapest Hotel All Nominees
2014 Thomas Newman Skyfall All Nominees
2013 Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo All Nominees
2012 Alexandre Desplat The King's Speech All Nominees
2011 Randy Newman Toy Story 3 All Nominees
2010 Michael Giacchino Up All Nominees
2009 Hans Zimmer & James Newton Howard The Dark Knight All Nominees
2008 Michael Giacchino Ratatouille All Nominees
2007 John Williams Memoirs Of A Geisha All Nominees
2006 Craig Armstrong Ray All Nominees
2005 Howard Shore The Lord Of The Rings - The Return Of The King All Nominees
2004 Howard Shore The Lord Of The Rings - The Two Towers All Nominees
2003 Howard Shore The Lord Of The Rings - The Fellowship Of The Ring All Nominees
2002 Tan Dun Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon All Nominees
2001 Thomas Newman American Beauty All Nominees
2000 Randy Newman A Bug's Life All Nominees
1999 John Williams Saving Private Ryan All Nominees
1998 Gabriel Yared The English Patient All Nominees
1997 David Arnold Independence Day All Nominees
1996 Hans Zimmer Crimson Tide All Nominees
1995 John Williams Schindler's List All Nominees
1994 Alan Menken Aladdin All Nominees
1993 Alan Menken Beauty And The Beast All Nominees
1992 John Barry Dances With Wolves All Nominees
1991 James Horner Glory All Nominees
1990 Dave Grusin The Fabulous Baker Boys All Nominees
1989 David Byrne, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Cong Su The Last Emperor All Nominees
1988 Ennio Morricone The Untouchables All Nominees
1986 Marc Benno, Harold Faltermeyer, Keith Forsey, Micki Free, Jon Gilutin, Hawk, Howard Hewett, Bunny Hull, Howie Rice, Sharon Robinson, Dan Sembello, Sue Sheridan, Richard C. Theisen II, Allee Willis Beverly Hills Cop All Nominees
1985 Lisa Coleman, Wendy Melvoin, John L. Nelson, Prince Purple Rain All Nominees
1984 Michael Boddicker, Irene Cara, Kim Carnes, Douglas Cotler, Keith Forsey, Richard Gilbert, Jerry Hey, Duane Hitchings, Craig Krampf, Ronald Magness, Dennis Matkosky, Giorgio Moroder, Phil Ramone, Michael Sembello, Shandi Sinnamon Flashdance All Nominees
1983 John Williams E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial All Nominees
1982 John Williams Raiders Of The Lost Ark All Nominees
1981 John Williams The Empire Strikes Back All Nominees
1980 John Williams Superman All Nominees
1979 John Williams Close Encounters Of The Third Kind All Nominees
1978 John Williams Star Wars All Nominees
1977 Norman Whitfield Car Wash All Nominees
1976 John Williams Jaws All Nominees
1975 Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman, Marvin Hamlisch The Way We Were All Nominees
1974 Neil Diamond Jonathan Livingston Seagull All Nominees
1973 Nino Rota The Godfather All Nominees
1972 Isaac Hayes Shaft All Nominees
1971 George Harrison, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr Let It Be All Nominees
1970 Burt Bacharach Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid All Nominees
1969 Dave Grusin, Paul Simon The Graduate All Nominees
1968 Lalo Schifrin Mission: Impossible All Nominees
1967 Maurice Jarre Dr. Zhivago All Nominees
1966 Johnny Mandel The Sandpiper All Nominees
1965 Richard M. Sherman, Robert B. Sherman Mary Poppins All Nominees
1964 John Addison Tom Jones All Nominees
1962 Henry Mancini Breakfast At Tiffany's All Nominees
1961 Ernest Gold Exodus All Nominees
1960 Duke Ellington Anatomy Of A Murder All Nominees
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