Hans Zimmer Slams Golden Globes for Cutting Music Award From Broadcast

Hans Zimmer didn't hold back when the Golden Globes announced they were dumping the Best Original Score category from Sunday's televised ceremony. The legendary composer called it "ignorant" and questioned why film music gets sidelined while box office numbers get their own trophy.

Award Handed Out During Commercial Break

Just two days before the January 11 ceremony at Beverly Hilton, organizers announced the score category would be cut from the CBS and Paramount+ broadcast. Ludwig Göransson still won for his work on "Sinners," beating out Zimmer's "F1" score-but viewers never saw his acceptance speech. The award was quietly handed out during a commercial break.

"It feels a little bit ignorant," Zimmer told Deadline on the red carpet. "We are the psychological underbelly of the whole thing."

The decision to shorten the broadcast raised eyebrows because the Globes simultaneously televised brand-new awards like Best Podcast and Cinematic and Box Office Achievement.

Why Film Composers Are Furious

Zimmer, a 17-time Golden Globe nominee with three wins ("Gladiator," "The Lion King," "Dune"), explained why the slight stung. "By the time we come to the music, the director has been through war," he said. "Our first job is to remind him why he did this film in the first place."

He wasn't just defending his own work. "This year is a fantastic year for composers-don't ignore them, you don't have a movie without them," Zimmer emphasized. He pointed out that every crew member works without sleep or weekends, and their contributions deserve recognition.

The Box Office Award That Sparked Controversy

Here's where things got awkward. While composers were shuffled offstage, the Globes rolled out the Cinematic and Box Office Achievement award-essentially a trophy for making money. Ryan Coogler's "Sinners" won after earning $368.2 million worldwide, meeting the qualification threshold of $150 million globally and $100 million domestically.

Unlike categories requiring artistic judgment, this one's just about numbers. No suspense, no debate-whoever sold the most tickets wins. The category also included questionable nominees like "Avatar: Fire and Ash" (not yet released when nominations were announced) and Netflix's "KPop Demon Hunters" (limited theatrical release).

Korea's Awards Shows Made the Same Mistake

Korean audiences watching the Globes controversy felt a familiar frustration. South Korea's Blue Dragon Film Awards-one of the country's most prestigious ceremonies-has been doing the exact same thing.

At both the 2024 and 2025 editions, all major technical categories (cinematography, editing, music, art direction) were relegated to pre-recorded video packages instead of live presentations. Meanwhile, the broadcasts featured four guest musical performances. Critics started calling it the "Blue Dragon Director and Actor Awards" because those seemed to be the only categories that mattered.

The pattern's identical: push technical crafts aside to save time, then fill that time with entertainment acts or commercially-focused categories.

What the Academy Got Right

The Oscars nearly made a similar blunder. In 2018, facing declining ratings and ad revenue, the Academy considered adding a "Popular Film" category. After massive backlash from filmmakers and members who saw it as dumbing down the awards, they scrapped the idea.

Instead, the Academy's taking the opposite approach-starting in 2028, they're adding a Stunt Design category to recognize an overlooked craft rather than chasing commercial metrics.

Who Actually Won What

Beyond the controversy, here's how the night shook out:

• Best Original Score: Ludwig Göransson ("Sinners") - his second Golden Globe in three years after winning for "Oppenheimer" in 2024
• Best Original Song: "Golden" from "KPop Demon Hunters" - Netflix's animated film
• Cinematic and Box Office Achievement: "Sinners" ($368.2 million worldwide)
• Big Winners: "One Battle After Another" (four awards including Best Picture Comedy/Musical), "Hamnet" (Best Picture Drama)

Paul Thomas Anderson took home Best Director and Best Screenplay for "One Battle After Another," while Jessie Buckley won Best Actress in a Drama for "Hamnet." On the TV side, Netflix's "Adolescence" swept with four wins.

Why This Matters

Film is collaborative work. Directors don't make movies alone-they rely on cinematographers, editors, composers, and dozens of other specialists working together. When awards shows start ranking these contributions, deciding some are "TV-worthy" while others aren't, they undermine the art form itself.

Göransson's "Sinners" score was integral to the film's success. Critics specifically praised how his music elevated the vampire horror to another level. Yet most viewers don't even know he won because the award happened off-camera.

As Zimmer put it: "You don't have a movie without them." Whether the Golden Globes will listen remains to be seen.