List of eligible scores for OSCAR, 2009

In order to be eligible for the Academy Awards, a score cannot automatically be considered unless someone (the composer for instance) sends out a "for your consideration" Oscar promo CD of their scores.

Now, the academy awards have always been the most popular awards each year, some calling it a celebration of the cinematic art in the spotlight of the most glamorous worldwide event, others considering it as a highly overrated celebration of the business of Hollywood money, but nevertheless the whole events draws attention, no matter what.

The 'best original score' category however, has been loosing its eligibility year by year, because of a general notion that characterizes their choices and emits characteristics having to do with a lack of knowledge in the field, and draft & quick issuing of the winners, just for filling out with the rest, "more important" categories of the awards. Most importantly, the choices the Academy makes in the 'best original score category' are often laughable as they ommit the truly notable and worthiest scores of the year, often for technical reasons but not alone, and the ones they do finally choose to award are usually not even good scores, or good music for the matter.

This year, things seem to be even worse however. The list of eligible scores for Oscar Consideration suggests that the truly great scores this year aren't eligible once again, and it was a good year for film music. For instance, no Brian Tyler scores at all ("The Killing Room" was a breath of fresh air from Tyler this year, a very good dark score and it should have - at least - been eligible for sure), there are no David Newman scores, no Beltrami's "The knowing", no Harry Potter nor Zimmer's "Angels and Demons", no Brian Eno's the "Lovely Bones", no "Red Canvas" (not released in the US), no Dario Marianelli's excellent score for "Agora" (not released in the US), no Philippe Rombi's beautiful "Un Homme Et Son Chien" (not released in the US), no Ennio Morricone's lyrical orchestral graces of "Baaria" (not released in the US), no "Pope Joan" (not released in the US), not even the exotic "Mao's Last Dancer" (not released in the US), just to name but a few of the omissions.

Apparently only 81 scores have been deemed eligible by AMPAS for the Oscars this year. They are:

1. Bates, WATCHMEN
2. Bellon, IRON CROSS
3. Beltrami/Sanders, THE HURT LOCKER
4. Bradshaw, BRIGHT STAR
5. Brandstaetter, PUNCTURED HOPE
6. Brett, PLANET 51
7. Burwell, A SERIOUS MAN
8. Cave/Ellis, THE ROAD
9. Cnejevicvi, EVA
10.Coulais, CORALINE
11. Danna, ADORATION
12. Danna, THE TIME TRAVELER’S WIFE
13. Danna/Danna, THE IMAGINARIUM OF DR. PARNASSUS
14. Danna/Simonsen, (500) DAYS OF SUMMER
15. De La Puente, THE MISSING LYNX
16. Debney, ALIENS IN THE ATTIC
17. Debney, HOTEL FOR DOGS
18. Debney, OLD DOGS
19. Debney, THE STONING OF SORAYA M
20. Desplat, CHERI
21. Desplat, COCO BEFORE CHANEL
22. Desplat, FANTASTIC MR. FOX
23. Desplat, JULIE & JULIA
24. Desplat, THE TWLIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON
25. Eastwood/Stevens, INVICTUS
26. Eidelman, HE’S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU
27. Elfman, TERMINATOR SALVATION
28. Englishby, AN EDUCATION
29. Eshkeri, THE YOUNG VICTORIA
30. Giacchino, LAND OF THE LOST
31. Giacchino, STAR TREK
32. Giacchino, UP
33. Gold, ADVENTURES OF POWER
34. Goldenthal, PUBLIC ENEMIES
35. Golijov, TETRO
36. Hamlisch, THE INFORMANT!
37. Hisaishi, PONYO
38. Horner, AVATAR
39. Howard, DUPLICITY
40. Iglesias, BROKEN EMBRACES
41. Isham, BAD LIEUTENANT: PORT OF CALL NEW ORLEANS
42. Jablonsky, TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN
43. Kent, 17 AGAIN
44. Kent, GHOSTS OF GIRLFRIENDS PAST
45. Kent, THE MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS
46. Kent, UP IN THE AIR
47. Kloser, 2012
48. Korzeniowski, A SINGLE MAN
49. Lara, RUDO Y CURSI
50. Lennertz, ADAM
51. Mansell, MOON
52. Marianelli, EVERYBODY’S FINE
53. Mothersbaugh, CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS
54. Muddiman, SKIN
55. Navarrete, INKHEART
56. Newman T, BROTHERS
57. Newman R, THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG
58. Ottman, ASTRO BOY
59. Ottman, ORPHAN
60. Penn, SUNSHINE CLEANING
61. Penn, THAT EVENING SUN
62. Powell, ICE AGE: DAWN OF THE DINOSAURS
63. Rabin, RACE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN
64. Rahman, COUPLES RETREAT
65. Rohatyn, THE PRIVATE LIVES OF PIPPA LEE
66. Shorter, DISTRICT 9
67. Silvestri, DISNEY’S A CHRISTMAS CAROL
68. Silvestri, G.I. JOE: THE RISE OF COBRA
69. Silvestri, NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: BATTLE OF THE SMITHSONIAN
70. Toprak, THE LIGHTKEEPERS
71. Wagner, PARIS 36
72. Wedren, BY THE PEOPLE: THE ELECTION OF BARACK OBAMA
73. Yared, AMELIA
74. Yevtushenko, THE LAST STATION
75. Young, CREATION
76. Young, DRAG ME TO HELL
77. Young, THE UNINVITED
78. Zarvos, SIN NOMBRE
79. Zigman, MY SISTER’S KEEPER
80. Zimmer, SHERLOCK HOLMES
81. Zimmer/Pereira, IT’S COMPLICATED

Find out more at http://moviescoremagazine.com/2010/01/brian-eno-and-others-not-eligible-for-oscar/