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.

23rd Annual Grammy Awards • 1981

Honoring recordings released between Aug 31, 1979 and Aug 30, 1980

John Williams won the 1981 Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media with "The Empire Strikes Back"

Winners & Nominees 1981

Winner

Nominees

The Empire Strikes Back

John Williams
Fame (Album)

Robert F. Colesberry, Anthony Evans, Lesley Gore, Michael Gore, Paul McCrane, Dean Pitchford
One Trick Pony (Album)

Paul Simon

Stevie Wonder's Journey Through The Secret Life Of Of Plants (Album)

Stephanie Andrews, Michael Sembello, Stevie Wonder, Yvonne Wright
Urban Cowboy (Album)

Robby Campbell, Brian Collins, Dan Fogelberg, David Foster, Jerry Foster, Wayland Holyfield, Bob House, Wanda Mallette, Bob Morrison, Bill Rice, Patti Russell, Boz Scaggs, Bob Seger, John David Souther, Joe Walsh, Johnny Wilson

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