Here Are The 2025 Nominations of the Society of Composers and Lyricists


Here are the 2025 film nominations from the Society of Composers and Lyricists.  The winners will be announced on February 6th.

Outstanding Original Score for a Studio Film
LUDWIG GÖRANSSON – Sinners
ALEXANDRE DESPLAT – Frankenstein
JONNY GREENWOOD – One Battle After Another
STEPHEN SCHWARTZ & JOHN POWELL – Wicked: For Good
MAX RICHTER – Hamnet
JERSKIN FENDRIX – Bugonia

Outstanding Original Score for an Independent Film
DARA TAYLOR – Straw
BRYCE DESSNER – Train Dreams
DAVID FLEMING – Eternity
FABRIZIO MANCINELLI – Out of the Nest
JÓNSI & ALEX SOMMERS – Rental Family

SARA BARONE & FOREST CHRISTENSON – To Kill a Wolf

Outstanding Original Song for a Dramatic or Documentary Visual Media Production
DIANE WARREN – “Dear Me” from Diane Warren: Relentless
ALICE SMITH, MILES CATON & LUDWIG GÖRANSSON – “Last Time (I Seen the Sun)” from Sinners
RAPHAEL SAADIQ & LUDWIG GÖRANSSON – “I Lied to You” from Sinners
SARA BAREILLES – “Salt Then Sour Then Sweet” from Come See Me in the Good Light
NIKHIL KOPARKAR & RAMMY PARK – “The Hills of Tanchico” from The Wheel of Time
ED SHEERAN, BLAKE SLATKIN & JOHN MAYER – “Drive” from F1

Outstanding Original Song for a Comedy or Musical Visual Media Production
EJAE & MARK SONNENBLICK – “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters
STEPHEN SCHWARTZ – “No Place Like Home” from Wicked: For Good
STEPHEN SCHWARTZ – “The Girl in the Bubble” from Wicked: For Good
JACK BLACK & JARED HESS – “Steve’s Lava Chicken” from A Minecraft Movie
MARK RONSON, ANDREW WYATT & JACK BLACK – “I Feel Alive” from A Minecraft Movie
BLAKE SLATKIN, SHAKIRA & ED SHEERAN – “Zoo” from Zootopia 2

Song of the Day: Last Christmas by Taylor Swift


Sorry, Wham fans.  This will always be a Taylor Swift song to me.

Last Christmas
I gave you my heart
But the very next day you gave it away
This year
To save me from tears
I’ll give it to someone special

Last Christmas
I gave you my heart
But the very next day you gave it away
This year
To save me from tears
I’ll give it to someone special

Once bitten and twice shy
I keep my distance
But you still catch my eye
Tell me, baby
Do you recognize me?
Well, it’s been a year
It doesn’t surprise me

Merry Christmas

I wrapped it up and sent it
With a note saying “I love you”
I meant it
Now I know what a fool I’ve been
But if you kissed me now
I know you’d fool me again

Last Christmas
I gave you my heart
But the very next day you gave it away
This year
To save me from tears
I’ll give it to someone special

Last Christmas
I gave you my heart
But the very next day you gave it away
This year
To save me from tears
I’ll give it to someone special

Oh, oh, baby

A crowded room
Friends with tired eyes
I’m hiding from you
And your soul of ice
My god, I thought you were someone to rely on
Me? I guess I was a shoulder to cry on

A face on a lover with a fire in his heart
A man under cover, but you tore me apart
Now I’ve found a real love. You’ll never fool me again

Last Christmas
I gave you my heart
But the very next day you gave it away
This year
To save me from tears
I’ll give it to someone special

Last Christmas
I gave you my heart
But the very next day you gave it away
This year
To save me from tears
I’ll give it to someone special

A face on a lover with a fire in his heart
I gave you my heart
A man under cover, but you tore him apart
Maybe next year I’ll give it to someone—
I’ll give it to someone special

Special
Someone
Someone
I’ll give it to someone—
I’ll give it to someone special

Who give me something in return
I’ll give it to someone—
Hold my heart and watch it burn
I’ll give it to someone—

I’ll give it to someone—
I’ll give it to someone special

I thought you were here to stay
How could you love me for a day
I thought you were someone special

Gave you my heart

I’ll give it to someone—
I’ll give it to someone—

Last Christmas
I gave you my heart
You gave it away

I’ll give it to someone—
I’ll give it to someone—

Music Video of the Day: What Have I Done To Deserve This? by Pet Shop Boys and Dusty Springfield (1987, directed by Eric Watson)


“Someone who’s in this relationship that they know they shouldn’t be in. It’s this dysfunctional relationship, and they don’t have the strength to get out. And ‘what have I, what have I, what have I done to deserve this?’ – there’s a real sense that they shouldn’t be there, but they’re basically a slave to this obsessive love. It’s one of the few songs of mine that is about that but doesn’t turn itself around and go, ‘I’m leaving here, screw you, go make someone else miserable.’ Usually I don’t just leave it at ‘what have I done to deserve this,’ but it felt right for the group, so that’s what it was.”

— Allee Willis, co-writer of What Have I Done To Deserve This?

Though this song may be out a toxic relationship, I always think of it as being about the showgirl taking off her glasses before going out to dance on stage.  That’s the power of a good music video.

This video was directed by Eric Watson, who spent most of his music video career working with Pet Shop Boys, though he also did videos for Samantha Fox, Rod Stewart, and Debbie Harry.

Enjoy!

Song of the Day: The Hanukkah Song by Adam Sandler


The career path of Adam Sandler — going from making likable comedies like Happy Gilmore and The Wedding Singer to making terrible movies like That’s My Boy to then emerging as one Hollywood’s most dependable dramatic actors — is one of those things that will fascinate (and perhaps confuse) future cultural historians.  Myself, I appreciate any actor who can go from being the Razzie Champion to someone who was robbed of an Oscar.  It’s probably one of the few things that Sylvester Stallone and Adam Sandler have in common.

I would also point out that Adam Sandler is always at his most likable when he sings about Hanukkah.  Here he is with today’s song of the day.

Music Video of the Day: Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer by Postmodern Jukebox (2024, dir by Sunny Holiday)


Wow, this song is dark!  I should also mention that it was written by both a Texan and a Dallasite so it’s from my part of the world!

I like Postmodern Jukebox.  Too bad about grandma.

Enjoy!