Zimmer Slams Golden Globes for Cutting Music Award
The legendary composer didn't hold back his criticism after the ceremony relegated the Best Original Score category to a commercial break, calling the decision deeply disrespectful to filmmakers.
Sunday's Golden Globes ceremony left one Hollywood icon fuming. Hans Zimmer, the mastermind behind soundtracks for Inception, Gladiator, and Dune, didn't mince words about the show's treatment of composers.
The Best Original Score category got bumped to a commercial break. Zimmer called it "ignorant." He was there as a nominee for F1: The Movie but watched his entire profession get sidelined.
Red Carpet Confrontation
Before the ceremony even started, Zimmer unleashed his frustration on the red carpet. The decision to prioritize categories like Best Podcast over film scores didn't sit well with the two-time Oscar winner.
"It feels a little bit ignorant. We are the psychological underbelly of the whole thing," Zimmer told reporters. "This is a room filled with filmmakers who understand the mechanics and understand when I come home after working on a film, my children don't know who I am because I haven't been home for months."
He continued: "The composer has such an important role in making films by the time we come to the music, the director has been through war. Our first job is to remind him why he did this film in the first place."
No Friendship Left
Ludwig Göransson ultimately won for his work on the horror film Sinners. The victory might signal another Oscar run for the composer who previously won for Black Panther and Oppenheimer.
But Zimmer's anger wasn't about losing. It was about respect. When asked what he'd say to whoever made the call to cut the category, his response was ice cold: "I wouldn't talk to them. I think our potential friendship has been canceled."
Host Nikki Glaser made jokes about Zimmer during her opening monologue. He laughed along, but the damage was done.
Track Record Speaks Volumes
Zimmer's credentials make his criticism sting harder. Two Golden Globes sit on his shelf: one for The Lion King in 1995, another for Gladiator in 2001. His Oscar wins match that count, with The Lion King earning him Academy recognition in 1995 and Dune adding another in 2022.
The snub felt personal to someone who's spent decades crafting the emotional backbone of cinema's biggest moments. CBS and Paramount+ viewers missed the announcement entirely, relegated to whatever programming filled the commercial slot instead.