The 16th Annual Hollywood Music in Media Awards (HMMA) recently wrapped its celebration of the year’s most impactful sonic creations across visual media, firmly establishing itself as a crucial early bellwether for the broader awards season. This year, the focus was sharply on high-concept drama and the collaborative relationship between director, composer, and artist. Leading the charge was the critically acclaimed thriller Sinners, which dominated the feature film categories, marking a significant triumph for its composer and co-songwriter, Ludwig Göransson. Simultaneously, the enduring legend of Diane Warren was justly recognized through her own documentary, solidifying a night that honored both emerging sonic innovation and time-tested songwriting genius. Held in Hollywood, the ceremony served as a powerful reminder that music is not merely an accompaniment but the profound, emotional core of modern storytelling, bridging the gap between cinema, television, and the burgeoning world of video games.
The Dominance of Sinners: A Soundtrack Sweeps the Stage
The film Sinners emerged as the undeniable multi-award champion of the evening, securing three major statuettes that highlighted its comprehensive musical achievement. The film’s success was largely anchored by its composer, the celebrated Ludwig Göransson, who clinched the prestigious award for Score – Feature Film. Göransson’s work was lauded for its innovative, mood-setting composition that perfectly mirrored the psychological tension and dramatic depth of the thriller genre, showcasing a powerful musical identity distinct from his previous blockbuster efforts.
However, the film’s influence extended beyond its instrumental score. The emotional high point of the picture, the song “I Lied To You,” secured an HMMA win in the Song – Feature Film category. This recognition acknowledged the collaborative brilliance of Göransson and his co-writer, Raphael Saadiq, in crafting a track that was both narratively integral and immediately memorable. The performance of this song within the film proved equally compelling, leading to a third major win for the film’s star, Miles Caton, who was honored with the Song – On-Screen Performance (Film) award, a category that celebrates the synergy between acting, vocals, and visual storytelling. The triple crown for Sinners signals a film that successfully integrated its musical elements into its very fabric, promising further awards recognition in the months to come.
Masters of the Score: Honoring Genre and the Small Screen
While feature films took center stage, the HMMA ceremony maintained its tradition of honoring excellence across the vast landscape of visual media, with impressive wins in the genre and television scoring categories. The Science Fiction and Fantasy fields recognized the monumental task of crafting sonic worlds for large-scale franchises, granting the award for Score – Sci-Fi/Fantasy Film to Simon Franglen for his expansive and atmospheric compositions in Avatar: Fire and Ash. Franglen’s score demonstrated the intricate layering required to accompany a cinematic universe built on epic scope and complex world-building.
Similarly, the horror genre was acknowledged for its unique musical demands, with Benjamin Wallfisch winning Score – Horror/Thriller Film for his unnerving and effective work on Wolf Man. His score was cited for its ability to ratchet up tension and define the psychological terror central to the narrative, proving that music is the ultimate tool for manipulation within the horror framework. On the television front, the trend of high-quality streaming scores continued, with Theodore Shapiro taking home the HMMA for Score – TV Show/Limited Series for his inventive work on the acclaimed Apple TV+ drama Severance. His win underscores the blurring line between cinematic and small-screen scoring, where television composers are now operating with the same thematic depth and orchestral ambition as their film counterparts.
The Power of Song: From Lady Gaga’s Gothic Pop to Independent Success
The songwriting categories celebrated a vibrant mix of legendary figures, pop superstars, and rising talents, reaffirming the HMMA’s commitment to recognizing musical artistry wherever it appears. A major highlight was the recognition of global sensation Lady Gaga, alongside co-writer Andrew Watt, who earned the award for Song – TV Show/Limited Series for their haunting track “The Dead Dance” featured in the hit Netflix series Wednesday. The song instantly became a cultural phenomenon, underscoring how a single track can powerfully define the tone and appeal of an entire series.
In a poignant moment of the night, the veteran songwriter Diane Warren was celebrated, receiving the Song – Documentary Film award for “Dear Me,” the original song performed by Warren and Kesha for the documentary Diane Warren: Relentless. Warren’s success is a testament to her unmatched ability to craft timeless, emotionally resonant ballads, even as she explores the narrative constraints of the documentary format. Adding to the diversity of song wins, the independent feature film Highest 2 Lowest took home the award for Song – Independent Film, demonstrating the power of grassroots filmmaking to produce culturally impactful, chart-worthy music.
Recognizing Artistic Impact and Global Connectivity
Beyond the feature and television categories, the HMMA recognized the industry’s shift toward celebrating music in all forms of visual storytelling, including live performances and global humanitarian efforts. A newly instituted category, Music-Themed Film, Biopic or Musical, was claimed by the director Jon M. Chu for the film adaptation of Wicked: For Good. This award acknowledges the complex effort required to translate a beloved musical property onto the screen, recognizing the director’s vision in uniting song, score, and cinematography.
The ceremony also highlighted the growing prestige of scoring in independent cinema, with Jeff Beal receiving the HMMA for Score – Independent Film for his acclaimed work on the film Rule Breakers. Beal’s win showcases the important role that independent features play in fostering unique and emotionally complex soundscapes outside of the studio system. Perhaps the most moving honor was the presentation of the High Note Global Prize, a special award associated with United Nations Human Rights, which went to the powerful, uniting song “We Believe in Hope,” performed by Jeff Beal and Afghan artist Aryana Sayeed. This accolade powerfully underscores the belief that music transcends entertainment, serving as a universal language for dialogue, hope, and global human connection.
