2023 Hollywood Music and Media Awards Nominations: Top Songs and Performers Revealed [Full List]

The excitement is building as the 2023 Hollywood Music and Media Awards (HMMA) nominations have been announced. Among the noteworthy nominees are two songs from the movie Barbie. Both “I’m Just Ken,” written by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, and “What Was I Made For?” written by Billie Eilish and Finneas, are competing for the coveted title of Best Song – Feature Film. The winners will be revealed on November 15th at 8 p.m. PT at The Avalon in Hollywood, California.

In addition to the Barbie tracks, other contenders in the Best Song – Feature Film category include “The Fire Inside” from Flamin’ Hot, “High Life” from Flora and Son, “I Am” from Origin, “Road to Freedom” from Rustin, “This” from The Beanie Bubble, and “Keep It Movin'” from The Color Purple.

The HMMA Awards often serve as a predictor for the Oscars. Previous HMMA winners who went on to win Oscars include Eilish and Finneas for No Time to Die, Hans Zimmer for Dune, Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, and Jon Batiste for Soul, Hildur Guðnadóttir for Joker, Ludwig Göransson for Black Panther, and Alexandre Desplat for The Shape of Water, among others.

Unlike the Oscars, which have one category each for songs and scores, the HMMA features six categories for songs and seven for scores.

A notable mention is the posthumous nomination of Robbie Robertson for Best Score – Feature Film for his work on Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon. This film marks the eleventh and final collaboration between Scorsese and the Canadian rock music legend.

Other nominees in the Best Score – Feature Film category include American Fiction (Laura Karpman), Chevalier (Kris Bowers), Nyad (Alexandre Desplat), Oppenheimer (Ludwig Göransson), Rustin (Branford Marsalis), Saltburn (Anthony Willis), and The Killer (Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross).

A fascinating HMMA category is Best Song – Onscreen Performance, which honors the performer of the song within the film. Halle Bailey has two nominations in this category for “For the First Time” from The Little Mermaid and “Keep It Movin'” from The Color Purple, which she performed alongside Phylicia Pearl Mapsi.

Other nominees in this category include Megan Thee Stallion for “Out Alpha the Alpha” from Dicks: The Musical, NSYNC for “Better Place” from Trolls Band Together, Ryan Gosling for “I’m Just Ken” from Barbie, Timothée Chalamet for “A World of Your Own” from Wonka, and two collaborations: Eve Hewson, Joseph Gordon Levitt, Orén Kinlan, Jack Reynor for “High Life” from Flora and Son, and Oil Factory featuring Chlöe, Jekalyn Carr, Loren Lott for “Praise Nationals Finale” from Praise This.

In a new HMMA category, Best Song – Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Olivia Rodrigo received a nomination for co-writing “Can’t Catch Me Now” with Dan Nigro.

This year, the HMMA will honor Marc Shaiman, a Grammy, Emmy, and Tony winner, with an outstanding career achievement award.

It’s worth noting that not all nominated films have been released yet. The HMMA allows films to compete if composers “submit up to 15 minutes of score to picture as it appears in the visual media project.”

For those eagerly awaiting the Oscars, the shortlists of the top 15 contenders for Best Original Song and Best Original Score will be announced on December 21. Oscar nominations will follow on January 23, 2024, with the awards ceremony scheduled for March 10, 2024.

The HMMA recognizes excellence in various visual media, including film, TV series, and video games. Below are the nominees in the film categories. For a complete list of nominees in all categories, visit the HMMA website.

Score – feature film

• American Fiction – Laura Karpman
• Chevalier – Kris Bowers
• Killers of the Flower Moon – Robbie Robertson
• Nyad – Alexandre Desplat
• Oppenheimer – Ludwig Göransson
• Rustin – Branford Marsalis
• Saltburn – Anthony Willis, Music By
• The Killer – Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross

Score – animated film

• Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget – Harry Gregson-Williams
• Elemental – Thomas Newman
• Migration – John Powell
• Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken – Stephanie Economou
• Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse – Daniel Pemberton
• The Super Mario Bros. Movie – Brian Tyler

Score – sci-fi / fantasy film

• Asteroid City – Alexandre Desplat
• Barbie – Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt
• The Creator – Hans Zimmer
• The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes – James Newton Howard
• The Marvels – Laura Karpman
• Transformers: Rise of the Beasts – Jongnic Bontemps

Score – horror/thriller film

• A Haunting in Venice – Hildur Guđnadóttir
• Deliver Us – Tóti Guðnason
• Knock at the Cabin – Herdís Stefánsdóttir
• M3gan – Anthony Willis
• The Boogeyman – Patrick Jonsson
• The Exorcist: Believer – David Wingo, Amman Abbasi

Score – documentary

• Kangaroo Valley – H. Scott Salinas and Logan Stahley
• Split at the Root – Lili Haydn
• Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie – John Powell
• The Deepest Breath – Nainita Desai
• The Pigeon Tunnel – Philip Glass and Paul Leonard-Morgan

Score – independent film

• Dalíland – Edmund Butt
• Dream Scenario – Owen Pallett
• Jules – Volker Bertelmann
• Miranda’s Victim – Holly Amber Church
• She Came to Me – Bryce Dessner
• The Zone of Interest – Mica Levi

Score – independent film (foreign language)

• Society of the Snow – Michael Giacchino
• Control – Taisuke Kimura
• Last Wishes – Carla F. Benedicto
• Los Reyes Magos: La Verdad – Arturo Cardelús
• Paradice – Sandrine Rudaz
• The Promised Land – Dan Romer

Song – feature film

• “I’m Just Ken” from Barbie. Written by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt. Performed by Ryan Gosling (featuring Slash and Wolfgang Van Halen)
• “What Was I Made For?” from Barbie. Written by Billie Eilish O’Connell and Finneas O’Connell. Performed by Billie Eilish.
• “The Fire Inside” from Flamin’ Hot. Written by Diane Warren. Performed by Becky G.
• “High Life” From Flora and Son. Written by Gary Clark, John Carney, Eve Hewson. Performed by Eve Hewson, Orén Kinlan, Jack Reynor, Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
• “I Am” From Origin. Written by Stan Walker, Michael Fatkin, Vince Harder, Te Kanapu Anasta. Performed by Stan Walker.
• “Road to Freedom” from Rustin. Written and performed by Lenny Kravitz.
• “This” From The Beanie Bubble. Written by Damian Kulash, Jr. and Timothy Nordwind. Performed by OK Go.
• “Keep It Movin’” from The Color Purple. Written by Halle Bailey, Denisia Andrews, Brittany Coney, and Morten Ristorp. Performed by Halle Bailey and Phylicia Pearl Mpasi.

Song – animated film

• “Steal the Show” from Elemental. Written by Ari Leff, Michael Matosic, Thomas Newman. Performed by Lauv.
• “Down Like That” from Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie. Written by Bryson Tiller, Chantry Johnson, Michelle Zarlenga, and Charlie Heath. Performed by Bryson Tiller.
• “Am I Dreaming” from Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Written by Mike Dean, Peter Lee Johnson, Rakim Mayers, Roisee, Landon Wayne and Leland Wayne. Performed by A$AP Rocky, Metro Boomin and Roisee.
• “Better Place” from Trolls Band Together. Written by Shellback, Justin Timberlake, Amy Allen. Performed by NSYNC.
• “Peaches” from The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Written by Jack Black, John Spiker, Eric Osmond, Michael Jelenic, Aaron Horvath. Performed by Jack Black.
• “This Wish” from Wish. Written by Julia Michaels, Benjamin Rice, and JP Saxe. Performed by Ariana DeBose.

Song – sci-fi / fantasy

• “A World of Your Own” from Wonka. Music written by Neil Hannon, Lyrics by Neil Hannon, Simon Farnaby, Paul King. Performed by Timothée Chalamet
• “Can’t Catch Me Now” from The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Written by Dan Nigro and Olivia Rodrigo. Performed by Olivia Rodrigo.
• “For The First Time” from The Little Mermaid. Music by Alan Menken, Lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Performed by Halle Bailey
• “Wild Uncharted Waters” from The Little Mermaid. Music by Alan Menken, Lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Performed by Jonah Hauer-King
• “You’ve Never Had Chocolate Like This” from Wonka. Written by Neil Hannon, Simon Farnaby, Paul King. Performed by Timothée Chalamet & Cast.

Song – independent film

• “Stardust” from A Good Person. Written by Cary Brothers & Scott Effman. Performed By Cary Brothers.
• “I Got You” from Holiday Twist. Written by Michael Jay and Alan Demoss. Performed by Jake Miller
• “Space and Time” from Master Gardener. Written by S.G. Goodman, Performed by Mereba
• “Quiet Eyes” from Past Lives. Written by Sharon Van Etten and Zachary Dawes. Performed by Sharon Van Etten.
• “El Saber” from Radical. Written and performed by Gaby Moreno.
• “Don’t Forget Me When I’m Gone” from Sons 2 The Grave. Written by Sean Jones, Michael Shand, Miku Graham. Performed by Sean Jones.

Song – onscreen performance

• Eve Hewson, Joseph Gordon Levitt, Orén Kinlan, Jack Reynor – “High Life” from Flora and Son
• Halle Bailey – “For the First Time” from The Little Mermaid
• Halle Bailey and Phylicia Pearl Mapsi – “Keep It Movin’” from The Color Purple
• Megan Thee Stallion – “Out Alpha The Alpha” from Dicks: The Musical
• NSYNC – “Better Place” from Trolls Band Together
• Oil Factory feat. Chlöe, Jekalyn Carr, Loren Lott – “Praise Nationals Finale” from Praise This
• Ryan Gosling – “I’m Just Ken” from Barbie
• Timothée Chalamet – “A World of Your Own” from Wonka

Song – documentary film

• “Everything Is Gonna Be Alright” from Bobi Wine: The People’s President. Written and performed by Bobi Wine
• “Forty Foot Man” from Bono & The Edge: A Sort of Homecoming With Dave Letterman. Written and performed by Bono and The Edge.
• “Speechless” from Louder Than Rock. Written by Israel Houghton and Adam Ranney. Performed by Caleb Quaye and Judith Hill.
• “Dream Your Little Dream” from The Jewel Thief. Written by Dan Braun and Josh Braun. Performed by The Braun Brothers.
• “Todo Fue Por Amor” from With This Light. Written by Carla Morrison, Carla Patricia Morrison Flores, Juan Alejandro Jimenez Perez, Mario Demian Jimenez Perez. Performed by Carla Morrison.

Music themed film, biopic or musical

• Carmen – Produced by Rosemary Blight, Dimitri Rassam and Mimi Valdes. Directed by Benjamin Millepied.
• The Little Mermaid – Produced by John Deluca, Rob Marshall, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Marc Platt. Directed by Rob Marshall.
• Theater Camp – Produced by Jessica Elbaum, Erik Feig, Will Ferrell and Noah Galvin. Directed by Molly Gordon and Nick Lieberman.
• Trolls Band Together – Produced by Gina Shay. Directed by Walt Dohrn and Tim Heitz.
• Wonka – Produced by Alexandra Derbyshire, David Heyman and Luke Kelly. Directed by Paul King.

Music documentary – special program

• Dear Mama: “Panther Power” – Directed by Allen Hughes. Produced by Joshua Garcia, Loren Gomez, Quincy Jones III, Stef Smith.
• Immediate Family – Directed by Denny Tedesco. Produced by Greg Richling, Jack Piatt, Jonathan Sheldon.
• Ladies First: A Story of Women in Hip-Hop – Directed by Hannah Beachler, Dream Hampton, Raeshem Nijhon. Produced by Shawna Carroll, Syreeta Gates, Cherice Hunt, Janice James, Princess A. Hairston.
• Little Richard: I Am Everything – Directed by Lisa Cortés. Produced by Robert Friedman, Lisa Cortés, Liz Yale Marsh, Caryn Capotosto.
• San Francisco Sounds: A Place in Time – Directed by Alison Ellwood & Anoosh Tertzakian. Produced by Michael Wright, Jill Burkhart, Mark Pinkus, Charlie Cohen, Tom Mackay, Richard Story, Jeff Jampol, Aly Parker, Darryl Frank, Justin Falvey, Stacey Offman, Richard Perello, Jeff Pollack, Frank Marshall, Alison Ellwood.
• Wynonna Judd: Between Hell and Hallelujah – Directed by Patty Ivins Specht. Produced by Reese Witherspoon, Sara Rea, Wynonna Judd, Cactus Moser, Jason Owen, Bruce Gillmer, Margaret Comeaux, Leslie Fram, Patty Ivins Specht; Producer: Cassie Lambert Scalettar.